DAR Pangasinan ends PD 27 golden anniversary with a blast, and a promise

With 2022 behind, ARBs are looking forward to the coming years for stronger agrarian reform, with Sec. Estrella’s leadership and promise: We are bringing the government closer to the people of Pangasinan.

 

Rosales, Pangasinan — On the 28th of December 2022, a few days before the nation counted down the clock to 2023, agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) assembled in the Conrado F. Estrella, Sr. Covered Court in Rosales in a festive mood. In addition to the incoming celebration of the new year, the ARBs were expectant of the arrival of Rosales-born Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III, whom they were excited to meet in person for the first time.

The Provincial Office was scheduled to award over ₱8.67 million worth of farm machineries and equipment (FME), and agricultural inputs to 640 ARBs from 18 ARB organizations (ARBOs), as well as 661 land titles to 563 new ARBs. However, for most of the farmers, the main activity for the day was meeting Sec. Estrella himself. When he arrived in the covered court, the Secretary was greeted with energetic cheers.

Sec. Estrella was appointed as chief of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in June 2022, just in time for the 50th anniversary celebration of Presidential Decree 27, one of the laws that established the DAR. Since taking office, the Secretary’s motto has been “we are bringing the government closer to the people”, something that he has been committed to achieving.

“Ang utos ng ating mahal na Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. [ay] mapabilis ang pamamahagi ng titulo ng lupa sa ating mga kababayang magsasaka sa Pangasinan,” Sec. Estrella shared. “Papaulanin din natin ng iba’t ibang support services ang ating mga kababayang magsasaka sa Pangasinan.”

He assured the ARBs that the FMEs and farm inputs that were awarded that day were just the first of many more support services. The ₱8.67 million worth of machineries and fertilizers were the hard component under three projects, namely: Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support, Linking Smallholder Farmers to Market and Microfinance, and Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty. The DAR Pangasinan selects qualified ARBOs yearly to become the beneficiaries of the projects. In addition to farm mechanization, the support services also include capacity development, credit services, and linkage to institutional buyers.

The land titles, on the other hand, were products of different land tenure improvement programs, namely: the Emancipation Patent (EP), Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA), and Project SPLIT (Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling). EPs are land titles awarded under PD 27, while CLOAs are those issued under Republic Act 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law. Lastly, under Project SPLIT, which was just recently launched in 2020, the DAR generates individualized land titles from collective CLOAs called C-Titles.

“Hindi po natin makakalimutan na ang mga magsasaka ay isa sa mga pinaka-importanteng sektor sa lipunan dahil kayo po ang rason kung bakit may sapat tayong supply ng pagkain,” Regional Director and concurrent Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Maria Ana B. Francisco told the ARBs.

By providing land to landless farmers and further supporting them with machineries and inputs, the DAR, under the leadership of Sec. Estrella, hopes to boost the agriculture sector and secure the country’s food supply. This is aligned with President Marcos’s priority for the nation, who is the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

“Ang ating pangarap sa lahat ng magsasaka ay magkaroong ng perang bubunutin sa kanilang bulsa, may sapat na pagkaing iluluto, at magandang kinabukasan sa kanilang mga anak,” the Secretary said.

With 2022 behind, ARBs are looking forward to the coming years for stronger agrarian reform, with Sec. Estrella’s leadership and promise: We are bringing the government closer to the people of Pangasinan. (za)