Another milestone to the agricultural sector is set to happen on Friday, February 5, as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will have an inaugural distribution of certificates of landownership award (CLOAs) to 44 fresh graduates of agriculture-related courses, from the provinces of Cagayan and Palawan, to encourage the youth to engage in farming to keep the country’s food security on course.

DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones said this is the first time that the department would give free lands to agricultural graduates to enable them to practice their profession in their farms and encourage the youth to embrace farming to reinforce the ageing sector, in which the average age of some 11 million Filipino farmers is 57.

Brother John divulged that there is a study that the country may face a shortage of farmers if the agricultural workforce would not be replenished and it was said that the number of students in agricultural courses was declining yearly by 1.5 percent that would weaken the agriculture sector.

“I believe that this incentive of awarding them lands will make the fresh graduates harness the farm lots they will receive since these will serve as their “farm laboratories” on which they could apply the theories and best practices that they learned from their schooling and that would benefit millions of Filipinos in ensuring food security,” Brother John said.

The agrarian reform chief said the land for distribution are unused government-owned lands (GOLs), subjected under Executive Order (EO) No. 75, Series of 2019.

EO No. 75, Series of 2019, was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on February 1, 2019, to facilitate the process of subjecting GOLs under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

“The DAR has identified about 230,000 hectares of unused GOLs in the country. Portions of lands in the Cagayan State Univerity (CSU) in Lallo, Cagayan and the Busuanga Pasture Reserve (BPR) in Busuanga, Palawan, will be awarded to the graduates,” Brother John said.

The recipients of farmlands in CSU include Gilmar Jay Acebedo, lvin Agcaoili, Juanito Agluba Jr., Noel Compra, Julius John Dela Cruz, Welfredo Gacusan Jr., Victorino Lagudoy, Murphy Maingag, Manuel Kriston,Adones Ohayas, Fernando Rabut, McReymart Rabut, Sherwin Ramos, Jarren Ador Raquepo, Hener Ribis, Leonardo Sumauang, Ryan Paul Uson, Angelito Vagay Jerome Usabal, Angelica Adatan, Marife Allag, Analyn Bugnalon, Rica Enorme, Vanessa Gacusan, Jemimah Guzman, Melissa Joy Israel, Karen Grace Justo, Pauline Ordillo, Roshel Torrena, and Vanessa Usabal.

While the recipients of farmlots in BPR are Gensefil Manginsay, Rommel Cagmat, Abigail Lagrada, Sunshine Araza, Florelyn Gutib, Bethel Joy Libarra, Arman Bacnan, Marydel Llanillo, Shahanie Diacasin, Dexter Edonga, Grecia Nimorca, Ronalyn Olanas, Necille Onayan, and Necca Juanerio Cabajar.

Isang mahalagang pangyayari sa sektor ng agrikultura ang magaganap sa Biyernes, Pebrero 5, dahil sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ang Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) ay magkakaloob ng certificates of landownership award (CLOAs) sa 44 na nagtapos ng mga kurso na may kaugnayan sa agrikultura, mula sa lalawigan ng Cagayan at Palawan, upang himukin ang mga kabataan na magsaka at mapanatili ang seguridad ng pagkain sa bansa.

Ayon kay DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones, ito ang unang pagkakataon na mamimigay ang ahensiya ng libreng lupa sa mga nagtapos ng agrikultura upang mabigyan sila ng pagkakataon na magamit ang kanilang propesyon sa kanilang sariling lupain at mahimok ang mga kabataan na magsaka, sapagkat ang mga magsasaka ay patanda na ng patanda, at sa may 11 milyong Pilipinong magsasaka, ang karaniwang edad ng mga ito ay nasa 57.

Ipinahayag din ni Brother John na ayon sa pag-aaral, ang bansa ay maaaring magkaroon ng kakulangan sa mga magsasaka kung hindi ito mabibigyan ng lunas dahil taun-taon bumababa sa 1.5 porsiyento ang kanilang bilang, dahilan upang humina ang sektor ng agrikultura.

“Naniniwala ako na sa insentibo at hakbang na ito ay mapagyayaman ng ating mga graduates ang kanilang lupain dahil ito ay magsisilbing “farm laboratories” nila kung saan magagamit nila ang mga teorya at at magagandang kasanayan na kanilang natutunan sa mga paaralan ay mapakikinabangan naman ng milyong Pilipino dahil sa kaseguruhan ng ating mapagkukuhaan ng pagkain,” ani Brother John.

Ayon pa sa agrarian reform chief, ang mga ipamamahaging lupain ay mga nakatiwangwang na government-owned lands (GOLs), na isinailalim sa Executive Order (EO) No. 75, Serye ng 2019.

Ang EO No. 75, Serye ng 2019, ay nilagdaan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte noong Pebrero 1, 2019, upang mapabilis ang proseso ng pagsasailalim ng mga GOLs na sakop sa ilalim ng Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

“Ang DAR ay may pag-aaral na may humigit-kumulang sa 230,000 ektaryang lupain ang GOLs sa bansa. Bahagi ng mga lupain na matatagpuan sa Cagayan State Univerity (CSU) sa Lallo, Cagayan at Busuanga Pasture Reserve (BPR) in Busuanga, Palawan ay ipamamahagi sa mga nagtapos,” Brother John said.

Ang mga tatanggap ng lupain mula sa CSU ay sina Gilmar Jay Acebedo, lvin Agcaoili, Juanito Agluba Jr., Noel Compra, Julius John Dela Cruz, Welfredo Gacusan Jr., Victorino Lagudoy, Murphy Maingag, Manuel Kriston,Adones Ohayas, Fernando Rabut, McReymart Rabut, Sherwin Ramos, Jarren Ador Raquepo, Hener Ribis, Leonardo Sumauang, Ryan Paul Uson, Angelito Vagay Jerome Usabal, Angelica Adatan, Marife Allag, Analyn Bugnalon, Rica Enorme, Vanessa Gacusan, Jemimah Guzman, Melissa Joy Israel, Karen Grace Justo, Pauline Ordillo, Roshel Torrena, and Vanessa Usabal.

Samantalang ang mga tatanggap ng lupain ng BPR ay sina Gensefil Manginsay, Rommel Cagmat, Abigail Lagrada, Sunshine Araza, Florelyn Gutib, Bethel Joy Libarra, Arman Bacnan, Marydel Llanillo, Shahanie Diacasin, Dexter Edonga, Grecia Nimorca, Ronalyn Olanas, Necille Onayan, and Necca Juanerio Cabajar.