ABOUT 37 hectares of land were distributed by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in northern portions of Negros Occidental despite the prevailing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
In Silay City, 34 hectares were awarded to 13 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in an individual certificate of land ownership award (Cloa) distribution held recently.
The distribution involved the landholding formerly owned by Mayo Lopez Carillo located in Sitio Sibato, Barangay Guimbala-on.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Noveva Espinosa, in a message, said the DAR is operationalized to distribute land to landless farmers.
"This is to secure your future, to be free from hunger and to ensure your economic viability and productivity," Espinosa said, as she told farmers that "now, that you have your land, remember to bear bountiful crops, and produce a good harvest."
In E.B. Magalona, about three hectares were also distributed to eight ARBs.
The awarded land is the landholding formerly owned by Michael Lawrence Bantug located in Barangay Nanca.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Tessie Pedrosa urged farmer-beneficiaries to maximize the full potential of land awarded to them.
"Make good use of it and make it productive. Remember to be responsible to pay the land tax on time as well as the amortizations," she added.
The land acquisition and distribution (LAD) is under the agency's Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (Carper).
In its mandate, 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.
This is in the form of Cloas covering one contiguous tract or several parcels of land cumulated up to a maximum of three hectares per ARB.