BACOLOD CITY -– Fifty-six farmer-beneficiaries in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental are the latest recipients of certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in the province.
The DAR Negros Occidental II office reported as of Friday that the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) will share almost 36 hectares of landholdings in Barangay Aranda.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Marilou Tubesa, who spoke at the turn-over rites, assured the ARBs of the government’s continuous support through various services.
Under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, the DAR has been providing support including credit assistance, farm machinery, free agrarian legal advice, and consultation to farmers who have land problems.
Tubesa urged farmer-beneficiaries to protect and defend their rights over the land and refrain from engaging in illegal activities particularly the “ariendo” (leasing) system.
Under CARP law, selling and leasing of lands are prohibited.
“There is no reason for the ARBs to engage in ‘ariendo’ system since the DAR has buckets of support services,” Tubesa said.
She said, however, that these services are not given individually so farmers are urged to form an association or cooperative.
Meanwhile, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II LucreciaTaberna welcomed the appointment of former Interior Undersecretary John Castriciones as acting chief of the DAR upon the appointment of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Taberna assured the new DAR head of their support to the programs and projects geared toward the welfare of ARBs.
“We hope that the new DAR chief would also give special attention to Negros Occidental, particularly in the completion of land acquisition and distribution based on the targets given and to the delivery of more support services to the province,” she added.
Castriciones, appointed on December 1, replaced Rafael Mariano whose appointment was rejected by the Commission on Appointments last September. (Erwin Nicavera/PNA)
