DAR validates status of farmer-beneficiaries in CamSur 1

Sipocot, Camarines Sur - The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has started validating the status of about 60 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who just received their certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) in Camarines Sur..

The validation was conducted by a team from the Office of the Undersecretary for Field Operations Office (FOO) at the Municipal Hall of Sipocot, Camarines Sur.

Ms. Cristina Dizon, team leader from the Office of the Undersecretary for Field Operations Office (FOO), confirmed that the present administration under the management of Secretary John Castriciones recognizes the need to check on the status of the farmer-beneficiaries on whether they are still the actual possessors and cultivators of the lands awarded to them.

Dizon said the agency is checking on the status of the beneficiaries after hearing reports from the field offices that some of the farmer beneficiaries have misused and illegally transacted the lands they received from the DAR.

"This is just some of the initiatives that the new administration is doing, the validation is in pursuance to the order of Secretary Castriciones to file cases for reversion if ARBs are found guilty of negligence or misuse of the lands awarded to them.” Mr. Philip Alvarez, one of the members of the validation team said.

The Secretary made his pronouncement, to order the reversion of CLOAs to the DAR by reasons of unlawful sale, transfer, mortgage, purchase or conveyance of CLOAs acquired by farmer beneficiaries through CARP, during the Mid-year Performance Review and Planning Session at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) in Tagaytay City last month.

Beneficiaries under Presidential Decree No. 27 who have culpably sold, disposed of, or abandoned their land are disqualified to become beneficiaries under CARP. Under RA 6657, or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL), CLOA beneficiary is prohibited to sell, transfer or convey the right to use or any usufructuary right over the land he acquired by virtue of being a beneficiary.

The validation team are also checking on the members of the agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) whether they are actually CLOA holders.

Castriciones said in the same pronouncement that, "The beneficiaries of DAR's provision of support services are the CLOA holders coursed through the ARBOs. If they are not the ones we are helping, we have no reason to exist," he added.

The team is set to conduct validation in other regions as well.

“We are really working on providing help to responsible and deserving farmer beneficiaries, and we will not allow the devious buyers to take advantage of the ignorance of the farmers and lure them to transact the lands awarded to them," Dizon went on. (May B. Peña)

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