DAR installs farmer-beneficiaries in San Benito

THE Department of Agrarian Reform, through the Provincial Agrarian Reform Office (PARO), on Thursday installed without any conflict 106 farmer beneficiaries in the 270-hectare Hda. San Benito, Barangay Crossing Magallon, Moises Padilla landholdings.

Lawyer May Cristina Cuevas of the Legal Department of PARO said that the installation of the 106 beneficiaries belonging to members of the Agraryo, Benepisyaryo, Reporma sang San Isidro Labrador (ABRAMSIL) and Crossing Magallon Multi-Purpose Cooperative and Hacienda San Benito Employees and Laborers Multi-Purpose Cooperative was peaceful, as they have asked the assistance of the PNP before the installation was made.

Cuevas said that there was no resistance on the part of other farmer beneficiaries, especially those identified with the management of MJ Lacson Development Company, Inc.

In 2003, DAR has already installed ARBs in 46 hectares of Hda. San Benito.

In February this year, about 200 farm workers formed a human barricade at the main entrance of the hacienda and vowed to prevent the installation of farmer beneficiaries from two other groups of agrarian reform recipients whom they described as “illegal”.

The farm workers, who are members of the Hacienda San Benito Employees and Laborers Multi-Purpose Cooperative led by Erlito Batallon, said they have a pending petition with the Office of the President for the inclusion of regular farm workers and the exclusion of Certificate of Land Ownership Award holders in the hacienda.

In previous years, the clash among members of rival groups of ARBs had claimed the life of a person and caused injuries to several others.

Cuevas said that they have resolved all the legal issues on the Hda. San Benito case before they implemented yesterday the extension of CARP coverage. (TDE)