DAVAO CITY — In a simple ceremony, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Brother John R. Castriciones distributed a total of 680 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Davao Region received a total of 677 certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs), covering a total of 740.9565 hectares of agricultural lands, on August 13, 2021.
Despite the pandemic, he said, the DAR is carrying out its job and even visiting several areas in the countryside to ensure that the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) is on track.
“Sa panahon ng pandemya, tunay na bayani ang mga magsasaka,” Castriciones said, noting that the pandemic has pushed down all the economies in the world.
“Talagang mahirap po ang epekto ng pandemya,” he stressed. “Mahirap pero kailangan nating paglabanan at ituloy ang buhay,” Castriciones told the farmers.
Davao Region Regional Director Joseph H. Orilla said the awarding of titles to the farmer-beneficiaries in Davao Region is the ultimate step towards the completion of the implementation of the CARP.
“This will secure the ownership of the ARBs to the lands awarded to them, and begin the next phase of the CARP, which is to render support service to these ARBs through the provision of capability development training and common service facilities, with a vision to optimize the potential to market their produce to the public,’ he said.
Orilla said the ARBs themselves will become optimistic on the possibility that greater economic opportunities will be opened to them after they receive these CLOAs.
“Notwithstanding the continuous threat of the COVID 19 pandemic, DAR Davao Region remained resilient and in fact, was able to distribute 677 Certificates of Land Ownership Award already registered with the Register of Deeds,” he said.
Orilla disclosed the following details of the distribution in the region: Davao City with 10 CLOAs for 9 ARBs comprising of 8.269 hectares; Davao del Sur with 272 CLOAs for 265 ARBs comprising of 285.8478 hectares; Davao del Norte with 174 CLOAs for 120 ARBs comprising of 194.8351 hectares; Davao Oriental with 17 CLOAs for 16 ARBs comprising of 21 hectares; Davao Occidental with 11 CLOAs for 11 ARBs comprising of 16.2498 hectares; and Davao del Oro with 193 CLOAs for 259 ARBs comprising 214.7548 hectares.
Armando C. Llamoso, 83 years old from P-7, Nueva Visayas, Mawab, Davao de Oro said, “Ang lupang pinagkaloob sa amin ay aming patuloy na aalagaan at pagyayamanin. Pinapangako po namin na hindi namin ito ibebenta at mapupunta sa iba.”
