BACOLOD CITY — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) awarded Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) to 26 farmer-beneficiaries in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday.
DAR-Negros Occidental II, which covers the south, said 22 of these new landowners would share the total area of 22.9211 hectares formerly owned by the Philippine National Bank (PNB)-Binalbagan situated at SitioMambulan in Barangay Tan-awan.
About 10 hectares will be divided among four remaining agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) . The land is formerly owned by Luther Ramos located at Sitio Pandan of the same barangay, it added.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer Elma Popioco, who led the CLOA distribution, challenged the ARBs to protect and defend their rights over the awarded lands.
“Your CLOAs are your early Christmas gifts from the DAR. You must protect and defend your rights over this land,” Popioco said, as she appealed to farmers not to engage in illegal activities like the “ariendo” system or leasing out their lands.
Selling and leasing of lands are strictly prohibited by the conditions stipulated not only in the contract but in the existing agrarian laws and regulations.
DAR also urged ARBs to be responsible citizens by promptly paying their taxes to the city government and land amortizations to the Land Bank of the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the DAR-Negros Occidental I, which covers the northern part of the province, reported low land acquisition and distribution accomplishment for 2017.
From the distribution target of about 5,000 hectares, the agency can only reach by about 2,500 hectares by the end of December this year.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Milagros Flores said this could be attributed to the challenges in the land acquisition and distribution (LAD), including the technical requirements delaying the implementation of the program.
Flores pointed out that the DAR is not the sole implementer of Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
The titles and CLOAs are available at the Register of Deeds, surveys with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and valuation at the Land Bank of the Philippines, among others.
“In 2012, we started to initiate a strategy that has eventually lessened the tendency of ARBs to sell or lease their awarded lands mainly through provision of support services before the giving of CLOAs,” Flores said.
DAR- Negros Occidental I will work to double its accomplishment next year, she added. (PNA)
