“Kasing halaga ng buhay ko ang titulo ng lupa na tatanggapin ko ngayon! Yan lang ang pangarap ng isang mahirap, ang magkaroon ng titulo ng lupa!” (“The land title I will receive today is as valuable as my life! This is just the dream of a poor person, to have a land title!), thus exclaimed the 82-year old agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) Rosario P. Dacquil, from San Vicente, Magalang, Pampanga as she awaits to receive her certificate of land ownership award (CLOA) from Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary John R. Castriciones, yesterday, July 19, 2021.

Nanay Rosario is one of the 281 ARBs who received their CLOAs during a simple ceremony led by Secretary Brother John held in San Vicente, Magalang, Pampanga comprising a total of 174.2361 hectares of land, which is part of the unused government-owned lands (GOLs) of the Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU).

The Secretary thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for signing into law of Executive Order (EO) No. 75, Series of 2019, February 1, 2019, which prompted the DAR to quickly facilitate the processing of idle and abandoned GOLs that can be covered under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

"If you are a beneficiary of E.O 75, it's free, you don't have to pay even a single centavo, all you need is to make the land productive. Please do not intend to abandon or sell the land,” Castriciones said.

The said property was distributed to 207 identified ARBs and 74 qualified agriculture graduates or a total of 281 beneficiaries.

Brother John expressed his confidence that agriculture graduates could help improve the agricultural lands given to each of them, since they can apply the theories, practices and modern farming technology they have learned from their schooling.

Castriciones added that the knowledge that they have acquired may be passed on to more farmers that will eventually benefit the country's economy and ensure food security.

Aside from the free lands, the identified beneficiaries can avail themselves of other support services extended by the DAR and other government agencies, including the provision of loans, training, farm machinery and implements.

Regional Director Atty. Maria Celestina M. Tam said the PSAU property are covered by TCT No. 045-2016003517 and 045-2015007300, with an aggregate area of 508.8534 hectares. The property was covered under E.O. no 75, of which 174.2361 hectares was initially segregated and is the subject of recently held CLOA distribution distributed to the beneficiaries, the remaining area she said are still for re-validation.

“The 174.2361-hectare property, which formerly forms part of the PSAU educational institution has been identified as agricultural lands devoted and suitable for agriculture and are no longer used for the purpose for which they have been acquired,” Tam said.

“Kasing halaga ng buhay ko ang titulo ng lupa na tatanggapin ko ngayon! Yan lang ang pangarap ng isang mahirap, ang magkaroon ng titulo ng lupa!” ito ang bulalas ng 82-taong gulang na agrarian reform beneficiary mula sa San Vicente, Pampanga, na si Rosario P. Dacquil, habang inaantay niyang tanggapin ang kanyang certificate of landownership award mula kay Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary John R. Castriciones kahapon, July 19, 2021.

Si Nanay Rosario ay isa sa may kabuuang 281 ARBs na tumanggap ng kanilang mga CLOAs sa isang simpleng seremonya na pinangunahan ni Secretary Brother John na ginanap sa San Vicente, Magalang, Pampanga, na binubuo ng 174.2361 ektaryang lupa na bahagi ng hindi na ginagamit na government-owned lands (GOLs) na pag-aari ng Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU).

Nagpasalamat ang Kalihim dahil sa pinirmahang batas ni President Rodrigo Duterte na Executive Order (EO) No. 75, Serye ng 2019, noong Pebrero 1, 2019, kung saan mas napabilis ng DAR ang pagpoproseso ng mga idle at abandoned na mga lupain ng pamahalaan na maaaring isailalim sa Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

“Kapag kayo ay benepisyaryo ng E.O 75, libre ito, at walang bayad ni isang sentimo, ang kailangan lamang ninyong gawin ay pangalagaan at pagyamanin ang lupa. Pakiusap lamang na huwag ninyong ibebenta o isasangla ang lupa,” ani Castriciones.

Ang nasabing lupain ay ipinamahagi sa mga natukoy na 207 magsasakang-benepisyaryo at sa 74 kwalipikadong nagtapos ng agrikultura, o may 281 na mga benepisyaryo.

Ipinahayag ni Brother John ang kanyang tiwala na makatutulong ng malaki ang mga nagtapos sa agrikultura upang mapaunlad ang mga naipagkaloob sa kanilang mga lupa dahil maiaaplay nila ang mga teyorya, kasanayan at modernong teknolohiya ng pagsasaka na kanilang natutunan sa kanilang pag-aaral.

Dagdag pa ni Castriciones na ang kanilang kaalaman ay maaari pa nilang maipasa sa mas maraming magsasaka kung saan mas pakikinabangan ng bansa upang lumago ang ekonomiya at magkaroon ng seguridad sa pagkain.

Bukod sa libreng lupa, ang mga benepisyaryo ay maaari ding mapagkalooban ng suportang serbisyo mula sa DAR at iba pang ahensya ng pamahalaan kabilang na ang pagbibigay ng mga pautang, pagsasanay, makinarya at mga kagamitang pangsaka.

Ayon kay DAR-Central Luzon Regional Director Atty. Maria Celestina M. Tam ang lupain ng PSAU ay nasa ilalim ng TCT No. 045-2016003517 at 045-2015007300 at may kabuuang 508.8534 ektarya. Ang lupain ay sakop ng E.O. No. 75, kung saan ang 174.2361 ang unang nasukat at naipamahagi ang mga CLOA sa mga benepisyaryo, samantalang ang natitira pa ay kasalukuyang isinasagawa ang re-validation.

Ang 174.2361 na lupain na dating parte ng PSAU educational institution ay natukoy ng pamahalaan bilang lupang agrikultural kung saan ito ay hindi na direkta at eksklusibong ginagamit para sa dati nitong layunin.