Rizal farmers receive lands, farm machines from DAR
BARAS, Rizal— The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has distributed lands and support services to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) here on September 17.
Eleven (11) ARBs from Barangay Macabud, Rodriguez Rizal received their certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) during the distribution ceremony conducted by the DAR at the Arnel Cruz compound in Sitio Baliksaka, Barangay Pinugay.
DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones, who led the awarding rites said the 11 CLOAs covered 8.5 hectares of agricultural lands.
"Itong titulo na ninyo ay katunayan na kayo ay tunay na mga Pilipino. Dapat pagyamanin ninyo sapagkat itong mga lupa na ito ay pwedeng ipamana sa inyong mga anak," brother John said in his speech.
He stressed that the government's dream is for the farmers to have progressive lives.
“Sana po ay inyong pag-iingatan. Ito po ay inyong linangin, palaguin at sa susunod po kayo ay magiging mga entrepreneurs, ang mga anak ninyo ay magiging entrepreneurs. Ito po ang inyong susi sa tagumpay,” Brother John said.
Farmer-beneficiary Jomar Ucag of Barangay Pinugay in Baras, Rizal lauded President Rodrigo Duterte and the DAR for the land title awarded to him.
"Matagal ko na pong hinihintay na magkaroon ng sariling lupa at ngayon ay payapa na ang aking kalooban. Sa lupang ito, mabubuhay ko ang aking pamilya ng maayos at mapag-aaral ko ang mga anak ko," he said.
DAR Assistant Secretary and concurrent Calabarzon Regional Director Rene Colocar said the distributed landholding was formerly owned by Juanito Bonoan.
He said the government will continue to assist the farmers through various support services. He urged the farmer-beneficiaries to protect and defend their rights over the land and refrain from leasing their land, pawning, or selling them.
“The CLOAs are just the first step towards more support from the government. We will follow President Duterte’s national goal of improving the economic lives of our farmers by pouring various support services to farm communities,” Colocar said.
After the distribution of land titles, the DAR turned over P288,000 worth of farm machines to the Madilaydilay Agrarian Reform Cooperative (MARC).
The farm machines, consisting of 1 hand tractor, 2 knapsack sprayers, 5 manual sprayers, 1 pressurized sprayer, and 2 brush cutters, will be used by the 71 members of MARC in planting pineapple, and vegetables.
“With these machines, our ARBs can now till their land faster and more efficiently. These [machines] will greatly help in decreasing losses in production and increase their yield and income,” Colocar said.
The provision of farm machines was implemented under the department’s "Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project" (CRFPSP).