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Angel
Cabello (3rd from right), a 78-year old farmer from Jaro, Leyte,
is being congratulated by Provincial Agrarian Reform Program
Officer Renato Badilla (2nd from right) after receiving his
certificate of land ownership award (CLOA) from DAR Regional
Director Atty. Sheila Enciso (3rd from left). Others in photo
from left are: CARITAS country coordinator Jess Agustin,
Assistant Regional Director Ma. Fe Malinao and Leyte Registry of
Deeds Head Atty. Emeterio Villanoza.
(Jose Alsmith L. Soria) |
A septuagenarian
farmer among DAR’s beneficiaries
By JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA
March 10, 2017
SAN MIGUEL, Leyte – A
78-year old widower was among the 658 farmers from three Leyte towns
who received their long awaited certificates of landownership award (CLOAs)
from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) last week at this town’s
auditorium.
Angel Cabello from Jaro
could only say he was so happy after receiving the land title to the
2.1-hectare coconut land he is tilling.
DAR Regional Director Sheila
Enciso led the distribution of the 344 CLOAs covering a combined area
of 689.6 hectares of farmlands situated in 21 barangays within this
town and in the municipalities of Jaro and Barugo.
But before the CLOAs were
handed to the recipients, Agrarian Reform Program Officer Wendell
Ariza gave a lecture first to the former their rights as well as their
obligations as agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).
Enciso, assisted by
Assistant Regional Director Ma. Fe Malinao, Leyte Provincial Agrarian
Reform Program Officer Renato Badilla, Head of the Leyte Registry of
Deeds (ROD) Atty. Emeterio Villanoza, RIGHTS National Coordinator
Danny Caranza, CARITAS Country Coordinator Jess Agustin and Vice Mayor
Atilano Oballo, explained why it took long for DAR to distribute the
CLOAs.
According to her, after the
release of the titles at the ROD there is a need for DAR to validate
the CLOAs to check whether the information in the said documents are
still correct.
She likewise advised the
ARBs not to sell their CLOAs nor convert their farmlands into another
uses to ensure food security.
Further, Enciso disclosed
that DAR has P288-million additional budget for support services. Her
office, she added, received instructions from Undersecretary for
Support Services Rosalina Bistoyong to submit project proposals for
funding until Friday. In relation to this she directed the Program
Beneficiaries Division to discuss with the ARBs in identifying
projects that would help increase the farmers’ production and income,
and submit project proposals before Friday.
Meanwhile Badilla
acknowledged the partnership that has been established between DAR and
the RIGHTS, the non-government organization assisting these farmers,
which resulted to the release of these CLOAs that were pending at the
ROD since 1994.
