ILOILO- Amidst the high heat index recorded in the province, Ilonggo Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) showed up to receive their long-desired Certificate of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (CoCRoM) in 25 rendezvous points held on April 23-25 & 28, 2025.

A total of 2,064 CoCRoM were distributed concurrently by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Iloilo all throughout the province to 1,286 farmer-beneficiaries tilling 1,378.2523 hectares of agrarian land.

This four-day activity aimed to emancipate ARBs from the financial strain by condoning principal loans, unpaid amortizations and interest as well as dispensation on the payment of estate tax on agricultural lands under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

Through the effort of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr., Php 91,506,195.61 was written off by the government for the province of Iloilo alone.

This in accordance with the provisions stipulated in the Republic Act No. 11953 otherwise known as the ‘New Agrarian Emancipation Act’ signed by the President on July 07, 2023 which covers the condonation of P57.557 billion principal debt of 610,054 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) nationwide.

Messages of gratitude from ARBs overflowed when they finally got hold of their Certificates of Condonation. “Hangud gid ang pasalamat namon kay naka-avail kami [Certificate of Condonation with Release of Mortgage] kay ginapaligban pa namon ni luwas sa tax [We are very grateful because we were able to avail this Certificate of Condonation with Release of Mortgage, for we have been worrying about this aside from our taxes]”, expressed by farmer-beneficiary Maria Dulce Pahunao from Brgy. Ayuyan, Passi City.

Mrs. Pahunao also added that she will allot the supposed payment for the annual amortization for her maintenance drugs as she is turning 66 years old this year and for the continual cultivation of rice and bananas on her nearly two-hectare land.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officers also emphasized not to mortgage nor sell their awarded lands and maximize their effort to make them productive.

The Land Distribution Section under the Land Tenure Improvement Division (LTID) spearheaded the distribution of CoCRoM assisted by the personnel from the Land Acquisition Section, Survey Section, and staffs of DAR Municipal Offices.

This significant step will improve the ARBs’ quality of life towards advancement of the social and economic conditions of people in rural areas and our country’s economic growth. (Doneo E. Pahigdana/PIO)