BACOLOD CITY — A total of 43 farmers in two remote villages in Toboso, Negros Occidental were installed by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) after they received their certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) in separate rites this week.
On Thursday, the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Barangay Bandila received land titles for the 16.5624 hectares of the property formerly owned by Lucio Barcelona.
A day earlier, those in Barangay Bug-ang were given titles to two separate landholdings in Barangay Bug-ang, comprising 8.0539 hectares and 6.1816 hectares, which used to belong to Raymundo Toralba and Alipio Lubo, respectively.
The CLOAs in the two villages covered a total of 30.77978 hectares.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer-in-Charge Jasmin Castillo led the awarding of CLOAs and the subsequent installation of the farmer-beneficiaries under the coverage area of DAR Negros Occidental-North.
Castillo, in a statement, reminded the farmers of their rights and obligations as new landowners.
Under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, the farmer-beneficiaries should pay their annual tax amortizations to the Land Bank of the Philippines, and land taxes to the local government.
Last July 6, DAR Negros Occidental-South also turned over CLOAs to 26 farmer-beneficiaries in Bago City.
The land titles covered almost 16 hectares of the property formerly owned by Roberto Benedicto in Barangay Binubuhan.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Rosario Norbe had assured the beneficiaries of the government’s continuous support through various support services.
The DAR has been providing support, including credit assistance, farm machinery, free agrarian legal advice, and consultation to farmers who have land problems.
Norbe urged farmer-beneficiaries to protect and defend their rights over the land and refrain from engaging in illegal activities, particularly the “ariendo” system or leasing of land.
“There is no reason for ARBs to engage in the ariendo system since the DAR has buckets of support services,” she added. (Erwin Nicavera/PNA)
