ILOILO – “Best Christmas gift to all.”
These were the words of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in front of thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from Panay Island who received Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) and support services on Monday afternoon, Dec. 11.
Marcos, with Department of Agrarian (DAR) secretary Condrado Estrella III, Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo Jr., DAR undersecretary Jesry Palmares, and Passi City’s Mayor Stephen Palmares, led the distribution held in Passi City.
A total of 2,779 titles to 2,143 ARBs with a total area of 2,903.5134 hectares of agricultural land were distributed, the breakdown of which is as follows:
* Aklan – 207 titles (201.2704 hectares) for 184 ARBs
* Antique – 239 titles (293.4239 hectares) for 210 ARBs
* Capiz – 1,291 titles (1,541.2361 hectares) for 1,035 ARBs
* Guimaras – 37 titles (48.6781 hectares) for 33 ARBs
* Iloilo – 1,005 titles (818.9149 hectares) for 681 ARBs
Before the program, the President turned over support services to various farmer organizations.
Farm machinery and equipment and organic fertilizers worth P26,712,987.38 were given through the Sustainable and Resilient Agrarian Reform Communities Project, Sustainable Livelihood Support, and Major Crop-based Block Farm Productivity Enhancement to selected Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) here.
An estimated 90 agrarian reform beneficiary organizations from Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo, with 20,806 ARBs, availed themselves of the support services.
Here is the breakdown per province:
Guimaras
* Mobile rice mill worth P999,500
* Angkar-angkar worth P250,000
* Organic fertilizers worth P250,000
Capiz
* Wheel drive contractor worth P2,675,000
* Corn sheller worth P320,000
* Floating tiller worth P280,000
* Hand tractor worth P900,000
* Rice Reaper worth P355,000
* Rice thresher worth P300,000
* Organic fertilizers worth P249,002.37
* Greenhouse Facility with Solar Power worth P1,376,601.86
Iloilo
* Hand tractor with trailer worth P2,240,000
* Rice thresher worth P2,550,000
* Passi City Tissue Culture Facility with Greenhouse worth P6,974,298.07
* New Lucena Tissue Culture Facility with Greenhouse worth P6,993,585.08
* Greenhouse Facility Culture Facility with Greenhouse worth P6,993,585.08
Marcos said the distribution of agricultural lands here is in the pursuit of agrarian reform, in the same manner as delivering fertilizer and machinery, to achieve the “magandang kinabukasan para sa ating magsasaka at para sa ating sinasaka at sa susunod na henerasyon.”
“With the distribution of these titles in Western Visayas and other areas, we are set to exceed our nationwide target for land distribution for the year 2023. So, para sa akin eto na ang pinakamagandang Christmas gift para sa ating lahat,” the president said in his speech.
He urged the DAR to complete the distribution of land titles for deserving owners as soon as possible while collaborating with all government agencies to support the beneficiaries in anything that might be needed in claiming.
According to Marcos, the first law passed by his father, the late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., is the agrarian reform law, because, throughout his life, he saw and knew the sacrifice of the farmers who were being forced to till the lands they did not even own for years.
“Ang unang batas na ginawa ng aking ama ay agrarian reform dahil sa buong buhay niya ay sinasabi niya na hindi tama na ang ating magsasaka ay pinaghirapan at nagtatrabaho ng taong-taong na wala naman silang lupa. Kaya ang agrarian reform ay pinag-priority, at ngayon naging priority ulit ang pagbigay ng titulo, tulong at suporta,” he added.
The President clarified that the agrarian reform is not only limited to land title distribution but also ensures that ARBs can sustainably cultivate and benefit from the land awarded through the national government’s provision of support services.
“Tuwang-tuwa kami na pagpunta namin dito ay marami na kaming nagawa at marami na kaming nabigyan ng titulo at patuloy ang proseso sa pagbigay ng titulo para sa ating farmers at patuloy na magbigay ng suporta sa ating farmers hindi lamang dito sa region pati na sa buong Pilipinas,” he said.
ARBs Should Cultivate, Benefit From the Lands
“To those who will be receiving their titles or to have received their titles today, I urge you na pagbutihan ninyo at pagsamantalahin ninyo ng mabuti etong magandang pagkakataon naibigay namin sa inyo dahil nga sa pagbigay ng titulo habang kayo ay patuloy na nagsisikap, hindi rin kami titigil sa gobyerno na gagawa ng mga hakbang upang sa ikakaunlad ninyo, mga hakbang upang palakasin at pagyamanin at mapagtibay ang inyong kabuhayan,” Marcos said.
The President then encouraged the public to unite in making the lives of Filipinos, especially farmers, better.
“Let us continue to work and let us continue to support our farmers. The farmers have done their part, and it is now up to us in the government to do our part,” the President said./PN
