NEW LAND OWNERS. Five farmers hold their titles of the government-distributed landholdings totaling over 11 hectares at the DAR municipal office in Ragay, Camarines Sur on Jan. 31, 2024. A total of 31 agrarian reform beneficiaries in the province received certificates of land ownership award from the Department of Agrarian Reform in January. (Photo courtesy of DAR-Bicol)
LEGAZPI CITY – A total of 31 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Camarines Sur province received certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in January.
In an interview on Tuesday, Niriza Barquilla, DAR-Bicol assistant information officer, said the titles were given during five distribution activities to the qualified ARBs from five towns, covering 40.26 hectares of agricultural lands.
"The distribution of land titles to the qualified beneficiaries was conducted in a series of activities in the different DAR municipal offices in Camarines Sur," Barquilla said.
In Pamplona town, five CLOAs were given to five farmers covering 3.6541 hectares; Balatan -- two titles to two ARBs covering 1.024 hectares; Lupi -- at least 15 CLOAs to 12 farmer-beneficiaries covering 12.82 hectares; Ragay -- five land titles to nine ARBs covering a total area of 11.1773 hectares; and Del Gallego -- three land titles to three ARBs covering a total area of 11.583 hectares.
DAR-Bicol reminded the ARBs of their responsibilities as landowners, and urged them to pay their taxes promptly.
In a statement, Ricardo Garcia, DAR-Camarines Sur I agrarian reform officer, said the distribution of CLOAs was in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella lll to improve the ARBs’ security of tenure.
In 2023, DAR-Camarines Sur I distributed a total land area of 880.6351 hectares to 641 farmer-beneficiaries. (With a report from Kathy Monreal/PNA)
