THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental-North has awarded over two hectares of land to eight agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Calatrava town recently.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Melvida Corazon Mercado, who spoke at the certificate of land ownership award (Cloa) distribution, said the agency's vision is to uphold the rights of the farmers to till, own, secure and cultivate the agricultural lands to enhance and improve their lives towards rural development and national industrialization.

"With this new milestone in your lives, we want you to bear bountiful harvests," she told farmer-beneficiaries.

The 2.5769-hectare covered landholding was formerly owned by Patrocino Castellano. It is situated in Barangay Lipat-on in the northern Negros Occidental locality.

This activity was conducted through the land acquisition and distribution process under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms.

Through the program, public and private agricultural landholdings are acquired by the government to be distributed to tenants, farmers, farmworkers or other tillers who are qualified to become ARBs.

This is in the form of Cloa covering one contiguous tract or several parcels of land cumulated up to a maximum of three hectares per ARB.

This is anchored to the agency's aim to provide lands to landless farmers and farmworkers, guarantee the farmers' land security, deliver social equity and provide them with the necessary productive resources needed to ensure their economic viability and productivity.

The DAR-Negros Occidental I said continuous field activities are proof that despite the inconveniences brought by the pandemic, the service for the Filipino people continues.

With Negros Occidental still under the modified general community quarantine, the land title distribution has complied with the minimum health protocols set by authorities, it added.