THE top official of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Western Visayas has assured continuous support to the farmers in Negros Occidental relative to the agency’s implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp).
DAR-Western Visayas director Sheila Enciso, who spoke at the a dialogue at DAR-Negros Occidental I Provincial Office in Bacolod City Thursday, February 20, said the activity is aimed at addressing issues and concerns of farmer beneficiaries assisted by Damayan ng Magbu-bukid, Mangingisda, at Mamama-yan sa Bansa (Dammmba).
Enciso said the issues which the farmers want to be addressed by the DAR include common problems in land acquisition and distribution (LAD) such as survey, field investigation, certificate of land ownership award (Cloa) distribution and installations.
“Aside from resolving the issues and concerns of our agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) involving their Carp-awarded lands, the dialogue also aimed to strengthen our ties with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs),” she said, adding that “we have to work together to achieve rural development and national industrialization, not only in Negros Occidental, but in the entire country.”
The regional director assured farmers that DAR-Western Viasyas will closely monitor not only the LAD in the province.
The regional agency she said will also ensure the delivery of support services to the farmer-beneficiaries in order to ensure the sustainability of the program and economic growth among them.
Meanwhile, also present during the dialogue were Assistant Regional Director Lucrecia Taberna, Negros Occidental OIC-Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officers Teresita Mabunay and Engineer Arnulfo Figueroa, and Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officers, among others.