BACOLOD City – A total of 230 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) have been installed by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in three areas in the fourth district of Negros Occidental last week.
The landholdings are located in Pontevedra town and Bago City under the jurisdiction of DAR-Negros Occidental, which covers the southern part of the province.
DAR municipal office head Lodivico Guimapang on Friday facilitated the installation of 185 ARBs in Barangay Antipolo, Pontevedra.
The farmer-beneficiaries were granted certificate of land ownership awards (CLOAs) to 385.1958 hectares of land processed under the voluntary offer to sell scheme of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program officer II Teresita Mabunay told the ARBs to cultivate and protect their land with the support of the agency.
“We will continue to provide assistance, along with the local government and our partner-agencies. You can avail of yourselves support services like training, farm implements and more,” Mabunay added.
The installation program was witnessed by town mayor Jose Maria Alonso.
He told the beneficiaries to tend to their land well and avoid leasing and selling it as either act is a violation of the law.
On Thursday, 23 farmer-beneficiaries were installed on a 14-hectare land in Barangay Calumangan, Bago City.
They were given CLOAs to the property formerly owned by the International Corporate Bank and Global Business Bank.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Melma Hortelano distributed the certificates and subsequently installed the farmers, with the assistance of DAR Bago City personnel Marvin Rubio and Doanne Consumo. (With a report from PNA/PN)