THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental-North, through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp), has installed 23 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Bacolod City.

ARBs were installed in the eight-hectare land previously owned by Janet De Luzuriaga in Barangay Granada on Thursday, May 2.

DAR Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Edwin Sanchez, who led the installation rites, said ARBs were among the recipients of certificates of land ownership award (Cloas) distributed by President Rodrigo Duterte in Sagay City on March 8.

Also, they earlier received mobile phones as promised by the President during the massive Cloa distribution in the northern Negros Occidental locality.

Sanchez reminded the farmer-beneficiaries of their obligation to diligently pay their land amortizations and taxes.

“The awarded lot cannot be leased, transferred or sold within 10 years from

the time it was issued,” he stressed.

DAR Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Ma. Corazon Mondia, who was also present at the activity, said Bacolod is a highly-urbanized city but it still has agricultural lands covered by Carp.

After being identified as program-recipients, ARBs are expected to work hard to make their land productive, she added.

DAR-Negros Occidental I records showed that it has already installed a total of 679 farmer-beneficiaries this year.

These ARBs cover a total aggregate area of 313 hectares in towns of Murcia and E.B. Magalona, and cities of Talisay, Victorias, Cadiz, Escalante and Bacolod. (Erwin P. Nicavera)