DAR awards land titles to ex-rebels, over 600 farmers in Isabela

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 1, 2021): DAR awards land titles to ex-rebels, over 600 farmers in Isabela (By Villamor Visaya, Jr.)

NEW LAND OWNER. Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones awards a certificate of land ownership to a beneficiary in Barangay Villapaz, Naguilian, Isabela on Thursday (July 1, 2021). More than 600 farmers received land titles in the province, including seven former rebels. (Photo by Villamor Visaya Jr.)

NAGUILIAN, Isabela – To give more Isabelinos land tenure, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary John Castriciones led the distribution of 670 certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) to as many farmer-beneficiaries, including seven rebel-returnees in this province on Thursday.

The CLOAs cover 840.6961 hectares of farms, said the secretary, who toured Villapaz village in this town and some areas in Jones and Delfin Albano for the distribution of the titles, along with farm equipment and support services.

The seven former rebels received a total of 15.4366 hectares of farmland, Castriciones noted.

Also distributed were 43 units of brand-new motorcycles with sidecars locally called "kolong-kolong", two units of multi-purpose vans and a farm tractor to farmers' organizations.

Castriciones also led the groundbreaking and memorandum-signing for 150 houses in the Balai Farmers housing project in Villapaz village here, among other activities.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, he said they have been working "triple time", "which led to many distributions of land titles during this period.”

Castriciones said they have been exerting more effort in land acquisition and distribution, assisting agrarian reform beneficiaries who need legal intervention through adjudication and mediation, and delivery of support services such as social infrastructure and local capability building, agri-business and rural development and access facilitation services.

Earlier, DAR also distributed 63 CLOAs to beneficiaries in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya; 12 CLOAs to beneficiaries in Furagui, Solana, Cagayan; three CLOAs to recipients in Padul, Solana, Cagayan; and 14 to beneficiaries in Baggao, Cagayan.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145669