CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, PHILIPPINES — On the eve of the 38th anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), members of the Don Carlos Bukidnon United Farmers Association, Inc. (DCBUFAI)—an organization of agricultural workers in Don Carlos, Bukidnon marched to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Region X office in Macanhan, Cagayan de Oro City.
The farmers personally delivered a follow up letter to the Regional Director, decrying the agency’s decades-long delay in issuing their Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA).
The mobilization highlights the stark contrast between the government’s upcoming celebration and the reality of agrarian reform on the ground, where farmers have spent nearly four decades fighting for the land they till.
“Tomorrow (June 10), DAR will celebrate the 38th anniversary of CARP. It’s ironic for us to think they will celebrate, since we also have spent the same number of years struggling to obtain our CLOAs,” said Jovencio Destor, Jr., President of DCBUFAI. “They should only celebrate if they have achieved the complete distribution of lands under the CARP.”
DCBUFAI has consistently engaged with DAR at all levels to resolve their case. Their persistent efforts include a face-to-face dialogue at the DAR Central Office in Metro Manila in August 2024, a July 2025 dialogue at the DAR Region X office coupled with simultaneous street protests, and numerous formal letters sent to provincial, regional, and national DAR offices.
Despite these exhaustive follow-ups, the farmers claim the DAR offices remain stagnant.
“Despite all these follow-ups, both in correspondence and actual dialogue, DAR is still incapable of mobilizing its task force to conduct the necessary validation and fieldwork to complete all requirements for the issuance of CLOAs,” declared Daisy Jane Aballe, Mindanao Area Coordinator for the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), a national movement of climate justice advocates, organizations, and communities fighting for climate debt reparations, social equity, and the rights of marginalized sectors against systemic injustices. “We have diligently worked with DCBUFAI, complied with all the necessary documentation and other requirements DAR required, and still, the process is stuck for one reason or another.”
During the mobilization, the group submitted their letter and held a discussion with Atty. Farrahmila A. Mala from the DAR Region X Legal Office.
Atty. Mala provided status updates on the DCBUFAI case and advised the farmers to follow up directly with the DAR Bukidnon Provincial Office to determine the cause of the delay in reconstituting the necessary task force.
“We’re currently waiting for the approval of the financial and work plan by the DAR central office for the revalidation of their landholdings to start,” Atty. Mala said.
The struggle of the Bukidnon farmers reflects a systemic issue felt by agricultural workers across the country.
To address these widespread delays, farmer groups and civil society support organizations, including PMCJ, will hold a high-level dialogue tomorrow, June 10, with DAR officials at the DAR Central Office in Metro Manila.
The national meeting aims to confront the agency regarding stalled land rights cases nationwide and demand immediate accountability for the country’s agricultural producers.
