DAR chief leads turnover of 88 land titles in Leyte
TACLOBAN CITY – At least 88 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) from eight towns in Leyte province and this city received their certificates of land ownership award (CLOA) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) during the ceremonial turnover in Sto. Niño village here on Wednesday.
DAR Secretary John Castriciones led the turnover to the beneficiaries along with other key officials of the agency.
Of the 88 ARBs, nine are from Alangalang, 23 from Babatngon, 12 from Dagami, nine from Dulag, six from Jaro, 22 from La Paz, three from Pastrana, and four from Tacloban.
The CLOA covers a total of 137.1239 hectares.
In his speech, the DAR chief asked farmer-beneficiaries to convince their children to take agriculture courses in college to strengthen the sector.
Castriciones said with the current coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, farmers have a big role to fill in providing solutions to the food security needs of the country.
He added that the national government through the whole-of-nation approach has mandated all agencies to work together and harmonize the assistance they are providing to farmers.
Among the CLOA recipients is Rogelio Pabadora, 76, from Cabalawan village here, who owns less than a hectare of land.
Pabadora, a native of San Isidro, Leyte moved to Cabalawan village in 1998 where he’s been cultivating a land planted with various fruit-bearing trees and vegetables.
“I am very thankful since I have been waiting for this land title for so long. I am very thankful for giving me this opportunity and to finally own this land,” Pabadora said.
The beneficiary said he is upbeat to make his lot a demo-farm where farmers in the northern villages of Tacloban will have a chance to learn what types of high-value vegetables thrive well in their area.
“I wanted to teach and show my fellow farmers what types of vegetables can thrive or grow in the soil so that they will have better income and be proud of themselves as farmers,” Pabadora said.
Aside from the ceremonial turnover of CLOA, Castriciones also led the turnover of various DAR-funded infrastructure projects.
These include the San Vicente steel bridge in Matag-ob, Leyte and Sta. Cruz communal irrigation project in Sta. Cruz village, Jaro, Leyte.
He also visited the one-hectare “Buhay sa Gulay” site in Sto. Niño village managed by 20 members of the New Kawayan Vegetable Farmers Association. (PNA)
