AMID the challenges brought by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental- South was able to distribute a total of 1,131.6588 hectares of agricultural lands last year.
These were distributed to 1,367 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the southern part of the province.
Data obtained by SunStar Bacolod from DAR-Negros Occidental II showed that as of December 2020, the agency was also able to register 643.34533 hectares of agricultural lands.
These registered lands are set to be distributed to 637 beneficiaries this year.
Some 1,678 farmer-beneficiaries, on the other hand, were installed to almost 2,000-hectare lands covered under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp) for the whole of last year, it added.
Officer-In-Charge Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Arnulfo Figueroa, in a statement, said the agency did its best to look for other means in order to accomplish its deliverables and indicators particularly in terms of land tenure security program.
Figueroa thanked DAR-Negros Occidental II personnel and partners that "despite the current outbreak, we were able to brave and were able to rise above the challenges."
The official revealed that for 2021, the agency will prioritize the full implementation of the Support for Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (Split) project.
The project aims to subdivide almost 20,452 hectares of agricultural landholdings in the southern part of the province, he added.
Moreover, DAR-Negros Occidental II is targeting to register about 4,000-hectare land this year.
Also, it targets to distribute almost 2,300 hectares of agricultural landholdings located in various cities and municipalities in southern portion of the province, from Bago City to Hinoba-an.
In terms of installation, about 2,600 ARBs are expected to be installed this year.
For his part, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer I Enrique Paderes has expressed optimism that for 2021, the agency will be able to double or even triple its last year's accomplishments.
"It is now time to convert the experiences and lessons we have learned during this pandemic into new opportunities and perform better in order to serve more farmer-beneficiaries," he added.