A TOTAL of 221 farmers in Kabankalan City, who have qualified as beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp), recently took their oath.

Of the number, 173 farmers took their oath before Kabankalan Municipal Trial Court in Cities Presiding Judge Jose Manuel Lopez on Monday, September 6, 2021.

The remaining 48 qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) took their oath and signed their Application to Purchase and Farmer's Undertaking (Apfu) on Wednesday, September 8.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Luz Rezaga, in a statement, said 156 qualified beneficiaries would share the 161-hectare portion of the properties formerly owned by the Yusay Family located in Barangay Orong in the southern Negros Occidental locality.

Sixty-five other potential ARBs will share the landholdings formerly owned by Noves, Lacson, Dela Cruz and Onzo families, all located in Barangay Tabugon, Kabankalan City.

Rezaga said aside from the importance, necessity and significance of the signing of the Apfu, the obligations and responsibilities of an ARB were also explained and discussed to them during the activity.

"These responsibilities and obligations include their willingness to work on the land to make it productive, and to pay amortization and real property tax as stipulated under the Republic Act 6657, as amended," Rezaga said.

For her part, Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Sharlyn Lacuesta stressed that in order to facilitate the processing of the land acquisition and distribution of the landholding, it is important that qualified ARBs must attend the oath-taking and sign the undertaking.

"Failure to take oath and sign the Apfu within the prescribed period without valid reason shall be construed as lack of interest to become an ARB and shall be considered a waiver of such right under the Carp," she added.