TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has distributed certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) to 714 farmers covering almost 1,000 hectares of farmlands in Leyte and Southern Leyte provinces on Friday.
Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones, who led the distribution at the Leyte Park Hotel here, said the program will inspire more farmers to become more productive and alleviate themselves from poverty.
The recipients were agrarian reform beneficiaries from three cities and 26 towns in Leyte and Southern Leyte.
“The President wants an aggressive implementation of agrarian reform program during his administration. Aside from the piece of land that should be distributed, we must be able to enhance the support system so that our farmers will be liberated from the bondage of the soil,” Castriciones said.
The official announced the special program of Land Bank of the Philippines on loans to agrarian reform beneficiaries.
One of the oldest CLOA recipients was Placida Graciano, 76, who has been tilling a three-hectare land in Gaas village, Merida, Leyte since 1969.
“I am very thankful that after decades of farming, two years of processing the documents, I am now a certified land owner,” said Graciano.
Nationwide, there are still 561,000 hectares of land for distribution to farmers with a target to award 50,000 hectares every year.
About 400,000 hectares of government-owned lands are also being proposed for distribution in the future, said Castriciones.
“We have to cooperate with our President because he is truly concerned about the welfare of farmers. He strongly believes that we need our farmers in order to enhance the development of our country,” the cabinet official said.
The agrarian reform chief also urged farmers to join the agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations since it is through these groups that the DAR courses its various support services. ( Sarwell Meniano/PNA)
