TANAY, Rizal – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has distributed land titles and support services to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the province of Rizal.
Twenty-one ARBs received their respective certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) in a distribution ceremony held in Tanay town on Friday, April 20, while 10 agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) were given farm machines worth PHP9.7 million.
DAR Undersecretary for support services Rosalina Bistoyong led the handing over of farm machineries to various ARBOs in the area while Undersecretary Karlo S. Bello of the field operations office spearheaded the CLOA distribution.
“With these machines, our agrarian reform beneficiaries can now till their land faster and more efficiently. These [machines] will greatly help in decreasing losses in production and increase their yield and income,” Bistoyong said.
The farm machines, consisting of heavy-duty farm tractors, rice reapers, shredders and power tiller cultivators, were turned over to 10 ARBOs, which have more than 1,000 members.
“Financially, this is such a tremendous help for us because renting tractors and farm machines from commercial firms are very expensive. Now, we will only pay rent for a minimal amount. Plus, we can readily avail of it because the cooperative owns it,” said Eliseo Inguito, Jr., a 59-year-old ARB from Jalajala.
Inguito added that with the provision of the farm machines, they will no longer hire people to help with farming chores like shredding and reaping, thus, reducing their farming expense.
Lourdes Bitabara, a cassava farmer from Tanay said “with these machines, my carabaos can now rest from farm work. More importantly, I can now earn extra income by selling milk and milk products from by carabaos.”
DAR Regional Director Luis Bueno said the machines were given as “equipment grant,” which will be operated by the farmers' organizations as business assets. The farmers' organizations will collect a minimal user fees, the proceeds of which will be used for the operation and maintenance of the farm equipment.
The project is implemented under DAR’s Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS), which aims to transform ARBs into viable entrepreneurs by providing them with support services to increase their income and farming capabilities.
Under ARCCESS, the recipient ARBOs are the Palaypalay Maunlad Farmers Association, Inc. Pagkalinawan Nagsaca Farmeras Association, Inc., Nagkaisang Magsasaka ng Punta, Inc., Llano Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Sipsipin Maunlad Farmers Association, Inc., Niogan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Madilaydilay Agrarian Reform Cooperative, Sampaloc Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Organization of ARB Farmers of Inalsan, Inc. and Organic Farmers of Barangay Macabud, Inc.
During the distribution of CLOAs, Bello apologized to the ARBs for the long-overdue distribution.
The delays, Bello pointed out, were due to the long processes of land titling.
He added that DAR is doing its best to issue titles to actual tillers to give them absolute control over their basic resource and in the process, propel progress in the countryside.
“Just be patient with the waiting. President Duterte has ordered us to speed-up the distribution of lands to farmers, especially to those who have been waiting for more than 20 years,” said Bello. (PR)
