THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental-South turned over certificates of land ownership award (Cloas) to 41 farmer-beneficiaries in Hinigaran town.

They will share almost 23 hectares of the landholding formerly owned by Fernando Feria located in Barangay Aranda.

Municipal Agrarian Reform program officer Lydia Garingo, who spoke at the turnover rites on March 27, assured the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) of the government’s continuous support through various support services.

Under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp), the DAR has been providing support including credit assistance, farm machineries, and free agrarian legal advice and consultation to farmers who have land problems.

Garingo urged farmer-beneficiaries to protect and defend their rights over the land and refrain from engaging in illegal activities particularly the “ariendo” system or leasing of land.

Under the Carp law, selling and leasing of lands are prohibited.

“There is no reason for ARBs to engage in ariendo system since the DAR has buckets of support services,” Garingo added.

She, however, pointed out that these services are not given individually so farmers are urged to form an association or cooperative.