By Brian Campued
No situations or challenges—even rain or shine, day and night—will hinder President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to lead government services that will reach and help all Filipinos across the country, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado Estrella III underscored.
Estrella made the remark during the distribution of Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROMs) to over 3,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Paniqui, Tarlac on Monday, which the President led despite the bad weather brought by Typhoon Julian.
“Umulan, umaraw tuloy ang serbisyo,” the DAR chief said, adding that Marcos also led the distribution of COCROMs in Nueva Ecija on his birthday.
“At kahit po may sakit…kahit siya na ho ang may sakit…dapat ang Presidente kung may sakit, doon na lang sa bahay, nagpapahinga. Ngunit kahit na…masama ang pakiramdam, tumuloy pa rin ho kami sa Palawan at sa Iloilo,” Estrella narrated.
Estrella also described the President’s determination to serve the people, recalling that the latter was even advised to forgo a visit in Mindanao due to inclement weather.
“Hindi lang ninyo naitatanong, noong nasa Mindanao kami ng ating mahal na Pangulo, basta ho Agrarian Reform Beneficiary ang pinag-uusapan, alam ho ba ninyo, hindi kami dapat lilipad, lilipat sa isang lugar doon sa Mindanao dahil napagsabihan na ho kami, masama ang panahon. Ngunit ang ating Pangulo ay hindi ho kinakabahan, hindi ho marunong umatras. Kahit po masama ang panahon, lumipad pa rin kami,” he shared.
A total of 4,663 COCROMs were distributed by the government to around 3,527 ARBs in Tarlac, relieving them of over P124 million in debts and obligations on agricultural lands awarded under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program under Republic Act 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act (NAEA), which the President signed into law last year.
“Sinasagot at inaalis na ng gobyerno ang malaking pasanin na dala ng mga utang na naging kakambal ng inyong mga lupang sakahan. Ang inyong mga amortisasyon, interes, at iba pang surcharge—lahat po burado na,” Marcos said in his speech, reiterating his administration’s commitment to supporting farmers.
The President, likewise, urged the ARBs to continue cultivating their lands to improve and uplift their lives.
“Nandito kami at patuloy na nakikinig sa inyong mga pangangailangan upang magkaroon kayo ng mas maginhawa at mas matatag na kinabukasan,” he said.
“Higit pa nating pagtutulungan ang pag-unlad ng sektor ng agrikultura dahil malaki ang paniniwala kong mas marami pa tayong kaya at dapat gawin,” he added. —avds
