TWELVE agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Escalante City are now landowners as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has distributed individual certificates of land ownership award (Cloas) earlier this week.

DAR-Negros Occidental I that as the province is still under modified general community quarantine, the distribution activity has complied with minimum health protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Department of Health.

A total of 3.6020 hectares situated in Barangay Pinapugasan have been awarded to the farmer-beneficiaries through land acquisition and distribution under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Maritess Resano, who led the distribution, told the farmers that “we, in the DAR, are fulfilled to have performed our tasks in providing you the land you deserve.”

“We hope that you may never forget the responsibility that comes with it,” she added.

DAR-Negros Occidental I said public and private agricultural landholdings are acquired by the government to be distributed to tenants, farmers, farmworkers and other tillers who are qualified to become ARBs, in the form of Cloas 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.