DAR distributes land titles to 470 Pangasinan farmers

• Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/411497394432/dar-distributes-land-titles-to-470-pangasinan-farmers
• Wednesday, June 14, 2017

By VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO (JNPD/VHS/PIA-1, Pangasinan)

URDANETA CITY, June 14 (PIA) - The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) distributed land titles to 470 Pangasinense farm tillers and workers in time for the Farmers Festival in celebration of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP ) anniversary.

On June 8, Secretary Rafael ‘Ka Paeng’ Mariano personally handed to the farmer-beneficiaries their own Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOA) in what he described as a ‘historical activity for the farmers.’

Mariano said the land titles covered a total of 654 hectares of agricultural land and the DAR will continue to see the need of farmers, so the beneficiaries could enjoy the land they are tilling.

“Itong lupa ay binibigay sa inyo ayon sa batas…. at lagi kong sinsasabi, huwag kayong mang-aagaw ng pinagpawisan ng iba at ipapakain ninyo sa sarili ninyong pamilya,” Mariano said during the ceremony.

The Secretary said the challenge now for the DAR is the installation of uninstalled beneficiaries who are holders of CLOA or patents.

“Mahalaga ang actual possession ng awarded land sa kanila. Hindi kumpleto ang kasiyahan pag hawak na ang CLOA pero malakas pa rin ang resistance ng land owner,” Mariano explained.

Republic Act 6577 otherwise known as the CARP Law states that the right and responsibilities of the beneficiaries shall commence upon the receipt of a duly registered emancipation patent or CLOA along with their actual physical possession, he added.

In the ceremony here, the Secretary also handed certificates of completion to 71 graduates of the Farmers Business schools and to the 144 graduates of mandatory training conducted by the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).