THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental-South has installed 26 farmer-beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp) in Bago City.

They will share almost 16 hectares of the landholding formerly owned by Roberto Benedicto located at Barangay Binubuhan.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Rosario Norbe, who spoke at the installation rites on Friday, assured the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) of the government’s continuous help through various support services.

Under Carp, the agency has been providing support including credit assistance, farm machinery, free agrarian legal advice, and consultation to farmers who have land problems, among others.

Norbe urged farmer-beneficiaries to protect and defend their rights over the land and refrain from engaging in illegal activities particularly “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 this prohibited act since the DAR has buckets of support services,” she added.

Carp beneficiaries were also urged to promptly pay their taxes and land amortization to the local government unit and Land Bank of the Philippines, respectively.