THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental-South has installed 56 farmer-beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) at Barangay Robles in La Castellana town.

These 56 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) now own the 17.39-hectare landholdings formerly owned by Maria Yulo and Leticia Barandiaran.

The property was covered under Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reform (Carper) through compulsory acquisition scheme.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program (MARP) Officer Raul Borbon, who led the installation rites recently, lauded the farmers and encouraged them to be productive and empowered CARP beneficiaries.

Borbon also reminded ARBs to exercise diligence in the use, cultivation, and maintenance of the land.

These include payment of their annual amortizations with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and real property taxes at the local government.

“We are encouraging farmer-beneficiaries to form an organization to avail various support services from the DAR and other government agencies," Borbon said, as he urged ARBs not to engage in any form of illegal activities like selling or leasing their land.

The official pointed out that the DAR, through its Agrarian Justice Delivery Program (AJDP) Division, also provides legal advice and assistance to farmers.

“The intention of the program is to really help ARBs improve and live a peaceful life,” he stressed. (EPN)