LEGAZPI CITY--After fifteen (15) years, seventy-six (76) agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) waiting to own their farmlands in Pioduran, Albay would finally receive their Certificates of Landownership Awards (CLOAs) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

The said CLOAs cover landholdings formerly owned by Pablo Alsua and Amparo Buenviaje, and Ramon Alsua in Barangays Marigondon and La Medalla in the said town, respectively.

Albay agrarian reform chief Maria Eugenia M. Alteza said that the CLOA distribution, covering a total of 138-hectares, would be done following the completion of the land acquisition process for the two parcels of Alsua landholdings in the said areas, adding that the CLOAs are already being prepared and finalized.

Reasons for the long-delayed distribution of the land include the landowner’s lobbying to withdraw the notice of coverage in 2005 to retain the property, and the previous erroneous documentation on the landholding that needed to be corrected.

“To correct this matter, the DAR conducted a joint field investigation with the National Inter-Agency CARP Implementing Team (NIACIT), which comprised of representatives from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Local Government Unit (LGU),” Alteza said.

As land coverage problems had been resolved, however, other concerns propped up, such as the abandoning of previously selected beneficiaries, the non-payment of landowners’ shares, and the determination of the metes and bounds of the area allocated to the farmers.

The Alsuas also raised worry over unpaid rentals owed to them by the tenants for the last two decades.

“In a dialogue, we reminded the farmer-occupants that under the law of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, they are obliged to pay the rent to the landowners when it becomes due, and until such time the CLOAs have been transferred into their names.,” she said

Alteza said that the land acquisition process was not an overnight success as it was a long and painstaking process, but the DAR Albay personnel, together with the members of NIACIT, ignored the hardships and they persevered and succeeded.

LEGAZPI CITY—Pagkatapos ng labinlimang (15) taong paghihintay, pitumpu’t-anm (76) na mga agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) ang sa wakas ay makakamit na ang kanilang ang Certificates of Landownership Awards (CLOAs) mula sa Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Ang nasabing CLOA ay sumasakop sa lupain ng dating pagmamay-ari nina Pablo Alsua at Amparo Buenviaje, at ni Ramon Alsua sa mga Barangay ng Marigondon at La Medalla sa nasabing bayan.

Ayon kay Albay agrarian reform chief Maria Eugenia M. Alteza, ang pamamahagi ng CLOA, na may kabuuang 138-ektarya, ay gaganapin pagkatapos makumpleto ang land acquisition process sa dalawang parsela ng lupain ng mga Alsua, at idinagdagdag niya na ang mga CLOA ay inihahanda at tinatapos na.

Ang mga dahilan ng pagkaantala ng pagbabahagi ng lupain ay dahil sa masugid na inilalakad ng landowner na i-withdraw noong 2005 ang notice of coverage sa lupain upang ito ay manatili sa kanya, at ang isa pa ay ang pagkakamali sa dating dokumentasyon ng lupain na dapat itama.

“Upang maitama ang mga bagay na ito, nagsagawa ang DAR ng joint field investigation kasama ang National Inter-Agency CARP Implementing Team (NIACIT), na binubuo ng mga representative mula sa Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), at Local Government Unit (LGU),” ani Alteza.

Pagkatapos naman na maresolba ang problema sa land coverage, may iba pang mga isyu na lumabas gaya ng pag-abandona ng mga dating napiling benepisyaryo, hindi pagbayad sa share ng landowner at mga sukat na nararapat ibigay sa mga magsasaka.

Idinulog din ng mga Alsua ang kanilang alalahanin sa mga hindi nababayarang renta ng mga tenant sa loob ng dalawang dekada.

“Sa aming pakikipagdiyalogo, pinaalalahanan namin ang mga farmer-occupant na sa ilalim ng batas ng Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, obligado silang bayaran ang landowner sa nakatakdang panahon, hanggang sa oras na mailipat sa pangalan nila ang CLOA,” aniya.

Sinabi rin ni Alteza na ang land acquisition process ay hindi madaling tapusin dahil sa tagal at masusing proseso na dapat sundan, subalit hindi ininda ng ng mga tauhan ng DAR kasama ang mga miyembro ng NIACIT, ang paghihirap, at, sa halip, ay nagtiyaga sila at nagtagumpay.