THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental-North has conducted a series of layout and monumenting survey activities in a 147.7126-hectare landholding located in Barangay Alicante, E.B Magalona town recently.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Tessie Pedrosa, who led the survey activities in the landholding formerly owned by Eric High-Quality Agro-Industrial Corporation from May 31 to June 18 this year, said it is the vision of the agency to implement a quick land acquisition and distribution (LAD) process.
The survey is one of the activities for the LAD process.
"Also, to peacefully hasten the delivery of social justice to the beneficiaries of the program through making concise and error-free survey activities," she added.
A team from the DAR along with farmer representatives mounted the markers that are appropriately indicated in the technical descriptions of the lot specified at the certificates of land ownership award (Cloas).
The Cloas are given to the farmer-beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp).
Under the program, 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 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).
This is in the form of Cloas covering one contiguous tract or several parcels of land accumulated up to a maximum of three hectares per ARB.
DAR-Negros Occidental I said this is anchored on the agency's aim to provide lands to landless farmers and farmworkers, guarantee land security, deliver social equity and provide them with the necessary productive resources needed to ensure their economic viability and productivity.
"These continuous field activities conducted by the DAR are evidence that despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, the service for the Filipino people lives on," it said.
With Negros Occidental still under the modified general community quarantine, the activities conducted have complied with minimum health protocols set by the authorities.