NEW LANDOWNERS. Agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) show their certificate of land ownership awards given by the Department of Agrarian Reform in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga on Monday (July 3, 2023). The recipients were from the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. (Photo courtesy of DAR Region 3)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Some 263 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in five provinces in Central Luzon received emancipation patents (EP) and certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) on Monday.
Lawyer Luis Meinrado C. Pañgulayan, DAR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and Research Office (PPRO), together with DAR Regional Director James Arsenio O. Ponce and other agrarian reform officials, led the distribution of titles to ARBs from the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija.
In the activity held at Capitol Center Function Hall in San Vicente, Tarlac City, a total of 114 ARBs from Tarlac and Nueva Ecija received EPs and CLOAs, comprising 131 land titles covering over 78 hectares of land.
On the other hand, some 149 ARBs in Bataan, Bulacan and Pampanga received a total of 170 titles, covering some 100 hectares of land.
Ponce said the activities are in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to intensify the distribution of land titles.
"We are doing our best to fast-track the distribution of lands as mandated by Secretary Conrado Estrella III,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.
He assured that the ARBs will continuously receive support from DAR, noting that the Marcos administration is prioritizing programs and services for the farmers.
“The intervention of DAR does not end with the distribution of land titles to the ARBs, but will continue to provide support services that will further improve their living conditions,” he added.
The beneficiaries thanked the DAR by giving them lands and support services.
Simeon Edroso, an 86-year-old agrarian reform beneficiary from Hermosa, Bataan, said the land title is very important for him because it is proof that he is now the absolute owner of the land.
“Maligaya at nagpapasalamat ako sa gobyerno, sa pamamagitan ng DAR sa pagkakaloob sa amin nitong titulo (I am happy and thankful to the government through DAR for giving us the titles),” he said. (PNA)
