The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) announced it recently issued certificate of land ownership award (CLOAs) to 997 landless farmers.
The CLOAs were handed over to the beneficiaries as proof of land ownership during a simple ceremony at the Cultural and Sports Center in Dapitan City, Zamboanga, on March 9.
The distributed lands covered some 1,595 hectares in the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Sur.
Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones, together with other DAR top officials, also turned over various rural infrastructure and livelihood projects worth P404 million.
“The CLOAs are just the first step toward more support from the government. We will follow President Duterte’s national goal of improving the economic lives of our farmers by pouring various support services to farm communities,” Castriciones said in a statement.
“My marching order from our President is to help our poor farmers and to fight for their rights,” he added.
The projects are expected to benefit at least 10,000 farmers, including around 23,000 households in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Also turned over were 13 farm-to-market roads, two communal irrigation systems, and one 28.8 linear meter bridge.
“These infrastructure projects would greatly help our farmers, especially the roads and bridge which would ease farmers’ travel from farm to the market centers. The two irrigation systems would boost their farm yield,” he said.
DAR Regional Director Julita Ragandang said that under the DAR Partnership Development Projects, the department will construct processing centers for handicrafts like abaca mat-weaving centers and community-managed potable water supply, sanitation and hygiene (CPWASH).
“These processing centers is where the farmers who are mostly women, conduct their livelihood projects of mat-weaving and make handicrafts out of abaca to sell for additional family income,” Ragandang said.
“The CPWASH will be constructed to provide potable water to remote farming communities,” she added.
Other top DAR officials present during the CLOA distribution and turn-over of projects include DAR undersecretaries Luis Pangulayan of Legal Affairs Office, Karlo Bello of Field Operations Office, Rosalina Bistoyong of Support Services, David Erro of Policy and Planning Office, Bernie Cruz of Special Concerns Office and Public Assistance and Media Relations Service Director Leomides R. Villareal.
Land Registration Authority Administrator Renato Bermejo was also present during the distribution ceremony.
The local officials present during the event include Dapitan City Mayor Rosalina Jalosjos and representatives from the departments of the Interior and Local Government, Environment and Natural Resources, and the National Irrigation Administration.