DIPOLOG CITY – In a significant move to support the country’s agrarian reform program, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., alongside Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado Estrella III, will distribute 7,214 hectares of agricultural land to 4,456 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) on May 24, 2024. The event is set to take place at the Zamboanga del Norte Convention Center in this city.
The distribution will highlight the administration’s commitment to enhancing the agricultural sector and empowering Filipino farmers. The lands allocated span the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga del Sur.
A total of 4,956 certificates of land ownership awards (CLOAs) will be handed out during the event. Of these, 3,950 titles will be generated under the DAR’s Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project. The remaining 1,006 are regular titles issued under the comprehensive agrarian reform program.
The SPLIT project is a crucial initiative by the DAR to divide lands previously awarded under collective certificates of land ownership awards (CCLOAs) and provide ARBs with individual land titles. This effort aims to ensure clearer property rights and enhance the productivity and investment potential of the awarded lands.
Estrella emphasized the importance of the SPLIT project in bolstering the agrarian reform program: “By providing individual titles, we are not just giving our farmers a piece of paper; we are granting them security and a sense of ownership that will inspire them to invest more in their land and reap its full benefits,” he stated.
In addition to the land distribution, the President will turn over farm machinery and equipment worth Php15.7 million to 30 agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs). The machinery and equipment to be distributed include farm tractors, rice threshers, mud boats, rice mills, floating tillers, pump irrigation systems, corn shellers, water tanks, egg-laying machines, motorcycles, rice harvesters, backpack sprayers, and shredder machines.
“On May 24, we will take a significant step in empowering our farmers by not only providing them with land but also equipping them with the necessary tools to enhance their productivity. This initiative underscores the government’s commitment to agricultural development and rural prosperity,” said Estrella. (ANTONIO)
