Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III and the ARBs during the distribution ceremony held in Tabuk City, Kalinga.
A total of 772 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Kalinga received their electronic land titles (e-titles) and certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) comprising 527 land titles and covering 1,201.8922 hectares lands.
DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III led the distribution of the 240 e-titles and 287 CLOAs to the 772 ARBs held in Tabuk City People’s Gymnasium, Tabuk City, Kalinga over the weekend.
Juliana C. Salibad, 62 years old from Cudal, Tabuk City expressed her gratitude to the DAR now that they have a clear and defined ownership of the land they are tilling. This she said will encourage them to improve their lands to further increase their production.
“Now that we have our own individual titles to present, we can now avail of loans and other financial benefits from banks, unlike before when we only have one collective land title,” Salidad said.
During the event, Estrella announced that the New Agrarian Emancipation Act will be signed into law by the President on July 7 this year.
“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will sign a law condoning the unpaid debt of the ARBs who were awarded lands under the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program,” he said.
Estrella said the President, through the DAR, wants to give the farmers true freedom from poverty and loans.
“The loans to be condoned are unpaid amortizations, interest payments, surcharges, and penalties of existing loans of ARBs secured under CARP or other agrarian reform programs or laws,” Estrella said.
He noted that the President emphasized that the New Agrarian Emancipation Program will only be complete until the ARBs are empowered through support services and credit facilities, prompt and efficient delivery of agrarian justice, and the stabilization of their agrarian rights.
“Future ARBs will be awarded lands free and with no obligations to pay on their part with the balances of unpaid obligations of ARBs to landowners to be assumed by the Land Bank of the Philippines,” he added.
Those who graced the event were Kalinga lone district representative Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang, DAR Undersecretary for Field Operations Office (FOO) Atty. Kazel C. Celeste, Assistant Secretary for FOO Atty. Marjorie P. Ayson, Assistant Secretary for Support Services Office Ubaldo R. Sadriarin, Jr., Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) Regional Director Samuel S. Solomero, and other local government officials and staff.
####
