ILOILO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to visit Iloilo on June 20 to lead the 30th anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
This was announced by Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. in his regular press conference here Thursday.
The governor said the President will lead the distribution of certificates of land ownership awards (CLOAs) to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and farmers in Western Visayas, as well as turn over some farm-to-market roads (FMRs) in Iloilo province.
Duterte’s visit was also confirmed by Gideon Umadjay Jr., Assistant Regional Director of DAR-6 (Western Visayas).
Umadjay said the program will be conducted at the Cabatuan Multipurpose Gym, Cabatuan, Iloilo at 3 p.m.
He said the President will distribute 3,772 CLOAs to 2,314 beneficiaries in the region, with a total area of 2,694 hectares.
The biggest number of CLOAs will be distributed to 900 beneficiaries from the northern part of Negros Occidental with 1,775 certificates.
Also, 938 CLOAs will be distributed to 556 beneficiaries from the southern part of Negros Occidental; 440 CLOAs to 367 beneficiaries from Capiz; 301 CLOAs to 221 beneficiaries from Iloilo province; 186 CLOAs to 158 beneficiaries from Guimaras; 76 CLOAs for 63 ARBs; and 56 CLOAs to 49 beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, Umadjay said that farm-to-market roads will be turned over to some agrarian reform communities in Iloilo towns.
These are the concreting of Barangay San Andres to Barangay San Florentino FMR with a bridge amounting to PHP66.26 million in San Rafael; PHP52.52 million concreting of junction Barangay Agba-o – Tapacon- Inamyungan and Guinhulacan FMR with bridge in Bingawan; PHP34.12 concreting of Sitio Nagpana to Sitio Proper Libata to Barangay San Geronimo FMR in Barotac Viejo; PHP26 million concreting of Barangay Pulao to Sitio Burol, Barangay Sulangan FMR in Dumangas; and the PHP58 million concreting of the junction of the national road to Agsirbar to Bagongbong to Barangay Caguisanan FMR in Lambunao.
“These are all completed and subject for turnover,” Umadjay said.
He added that the highlight of the activity will be the speech of the President after the mass oath-taking of the newly-hired personnel of DAR-6.
The President is also expected to speak before delegates of the Philippine Councilors League of the Philippines, who will gather at the Iloilo Convention Center for their second quarterly National Executive Officers-National Board Meeting; and the 5th series of the Continuing Local Legislative Education Program.
During the visit he will be joined by DAR Secretary John Castriciones and Special Assistant to the President, Christopher Lawrence Go.
President Duterte’s upcoming visit to Iloilo will be his second since he took office in 2016.
He first came here last February to visit the wake of slain overseas Filipino worker Joanna Daniela Demafelis in Sara, who was found inside a freezer in Kuwait. ( Cindy Ferrer/PNA)
