MILAGROS, MASBATE— Following the oath-taking of 190 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) that include three (3) former New People's Army (NPA) rebels, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in this province is set to distribute the remaining 303.0467 hectares of Yulo Estate in Masbate province.

Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Herald Tambal said the 190 ARBs recently took their oath before Judge Rolando G. Sandigan of MTCC-Masbate City, which was followed by the signing of the Application to Purchase and Farmer's Undertaking (APFU).

He said the land is a portion of the 1,372.5657-hectare landholding formerly owned by Luis A. Yulo in Barangay Matagbac in Milagros town, of which 1,069.5280 hectares were already distributed to 357 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in 1993.

“The subject property was once classified as an agrarian revolutionary area for many years,” he said.

Despite the local rebellion, Task Force Yulo of DAR and the Armed Forces of the Philippines were able to successfully acquire and develop the land.

“The issues in the coverage of the landholding were resolved, including the delays in the conduct of the subdivision surveys due to the anti-reform resistance by local rebels,’ Tambal said.

He said the task of distributing the estate to qualified ARBs is inching towards realization, with the completion of the identification of the landholdings for distribution, perimeter surveying, and submission of the survey plans for approval by the task force.

Former New People's Army guerilla Alyas "Bambam", who surrendered and made peace with the government under the rebel-returnee program, is one of the beneficiaries of the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, assuring him a 1.8-hectare land.

"After recognizing the futility of war and fighting, which deprived me of valuable quality time with my family throughout the years, and with the government-promised livelihood opportunities and farmland, which I continue to enjoy to this day, I decided to go back to the fold of the law to start a new life," Bambam said.

Bambam joined the rebel movement in Masbate when he was 19 years old and served the Malisyang Bayan wing of the New People's Army for about 17 years. He surrendered last October 2021.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte directed DAR to distribute agricultural lands to farmers living in areas with armed conflicts and rebel returnees.

MILAGROS, MASBATE— Kasunod ng oath-taking ng 190 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) kabilang ang tatlong (3) dating rebeldeng New People's Army, nakatakdang ipamahagi ng Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) ang natitirang 303.0467 ektarya ng Yulo Estate sa lalawigan ng Masbate.

Sinabi ni Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Herald Tambal na kamakailan ay nanumpa ang 190 ARB sa harap ni Judge Rolando G. Sandigan ng MTCC-Masbate City, na sinundan ng paglagda sa Application to Purchase and Farmer's Undertaking (APFU).

Aniya, ang lupa ay bahagi ng 1,372.5657-ektaryang landholding na dating pag-aari ni Luis A. Yulo sa Barangay Matagbac sa bayan ng Milagros, kung saan 1,069.5280 ektarya ang naipamahagi na sa 357 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) noong 1993.

"Ang nasabing lupain ay dating inuri bilang isang agraryong rebolusyonaryong lugar sa loob ng maraming taon," aniya.

Sa kabila ng lokal na rebelyon, matagumpay na nakuha at na develop ng DAR-Task Force Yulo at ng Armed Forces of the Philippines ang lupain.

“Naresolba ang mga isyu sa pagsakop ng lupain kabilang na ang pagkaantala sa pagsasagawa ng subdivision surveys dahil sa anti-reform resistance ng mga lokal na rebelde,’ ani Tambal.

Sinabi niya na maisasakatuparan na ang pamamahagi ng lupain sa mga kuwalipikadong ARB, sa pagkumpleto ng pagkakakilanlan ng mga lupain para sa pamamahagi, pagsusuri ng perimeter, at pagsusumite ng mga plano sa survey para sa pag-apruba ng task force.

Ang dating New People's Army guerilla na si Alyas "Bambam", na sumuko at nakipagkasundo sa gobyerno sa ilalim ng programang rebel-returnee, ay isa sa mga benepisyaryo ng Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program ng gobyerno, na nagbigay sa kanya ng 1.8-ektaryang lupa.

"Pagkatapos kilalanin ang walang kabuluhang digmaan at labanan, na nag-alis sa akin ng mahalagang kalidad ng oras na makasama ang aking pamilya sa buong taon, at sa pangako ng gobyerno na mga oportunidad sa kabuhayan at lupang sakahan, na patuloy na tinatamasa hanggang ngayon, nagpasya akong sumuko at bumalik sa hanay ng gobyerno para magsimula ng bagong buhay," ani Bambam.

Sumali si Bambam sa kilusang rebelde sa Masbate noong siya ay 19 na taong gulang at nagsilbi sa Malisyang Bayan wing ng New People's Army sa loob ng humigit-kumulang 17 taon. Siya ay sumuko noong Oktubre 2021.

Nauna rito, inatasan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte ang DAR na ipamahagi ang mga lupang pang-agrikultura sa mga magsasaka na naninirahan sa mga lugar na may armadong labanan at rebel returnees.