The Department of Agrarian Reform on Tuesday said it has already distributed 32 hectares of agricultural lands to uplift the lives of 58 landless farmers identified as agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Negros Occidental North.
About 21 hectares of lands have been awarded to 10 farmer-beneficiaries in Cadiz City involving the landholdings formerly owned by Concordia Paragat with OCT/TCT Number T-15609, covered by Lot Number Lot F-14-1625-D, located in Sitio Aluyan, Barangay Caduha-an, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.
In the town of Toboso, 48 ARBs have been installed to 11.27 hectares of landholdings formerly owned by Albino dela Cruz /Philippine National Bank (PNB) with Title No. T-91343, identified as Lot No. 2776 situated at Barangay Bandila, Toboso.
Teresita Doromal, Cadiz City municipal agrarian reform program officer, said the properties were acquired under the land acquisition and distribution process of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) mandating DAR to redistribute government and private agricultural lands to the landless farmers.
“Agricultural landholdings are acquired by the government through the DAR to be distributed to tenants, farmers, farmworkers, and/or other tillers who are qualified to become ARBs,” she said.
Toboso agrarian reform officer Jasmin Castillo congratulated the new landowners and advised them to make the lands productive to uplift their economic stability.
She also reminded them to always keep in mind their obligations to the land, particularly their payment on annual amortization and land tax.
“The DAR is here to help and guide the stakeholders. We will continue to follow our mandate to serve our farmer-beneficiaries,” she said.
With Negros Occidental still under the modified general community quarantine, the participants ensured that they observed the minimum health protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Department of Health.