Duterte distributes 24,000 hectares of agri lands in SOCCSKSARGEN

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, accompanied by DAR Secretary John R. Castriciones, hands out a land title to a farmer-beneficiary from South Cotabato.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte led the distribution of 12,548 certificates of land ownership award (CLOA) to 13,585 farmer-beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) on June 13, 2019, Thursday, in Lagao Gymnasium, General Santos City.

The region-wide CLOA distribution covers 24,000 hectares from the provinces of North Cotabato, Saranggani, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.

In a statement, Duterte previously said that armed conflict and rebellion would not end if the government fails to distribute land to the poor.

“Take care of your land and cultivate it. That will be your livelihood and source of income,” the President said.

Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary John Castriciones said the land distribution is in line with the President’s directive to fast-track the Department’s implementation of CARP.

“The DAR’s mandate is to distribute land to the landless farmers because the root of poverty among our farmers is the insufficient lands to till,” Castriciones said.

Some of the farmer-beneficiaries from Region 12 who received lands from the DAR.

Castriciones said the issuance of CLOAs to the farmers would secure their ownership of the land, which is one of the priorities of the administration’s 10-point socio-economic agenda.

“It also eliminates the fears and uncertainties of the farmer-beneficiaries regarding the status to their lands which would enable them to increase their agricultural productivity and encourage them to invest that would help them improve the quality of their lives” he added.

Amado A. Serra, Jr., a 58-year-old land recipient from Sultan Kudarat, said the land awarded to him is a big help because the income from his harvest would all go to his family unlike before when he would give a part of it to his landlord.

Moda Sagan, a 65-years-old T’boli and a land recipient from Surallah, South Cotabato, said he is very thankful to the administration for giving them the opportunity to own a land.

DAR Secretary John R. Castriciones gives his messages to the farmer-beneficiaries of Region 12.

The DAR also turned over two hand tractors/power tillers and two mobile rice mills to Tolentino Communal Irrigators Association, Inc. and Badtasan Farmers Irrigators Association, both from Saranggani province, benefitting 240 farmer-beneficiaries.

Regional Director Felix Aguhib said the farm equipment are provided under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project to enhance and sustain agricultural productivity of agrarian reform communities.

“DAR does not end in land distribution, it would continue its efforts in uplifting farmers’ lives through the provision of support services in the form of livelihood programs, credit assistance and farm equipment, among others,” Aguhob said.

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