THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has distributed 689 Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur.
DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes led the distribution of the CLOAs to the ARBs during his recent visit in Dipolog City, the capital of Zamboanga del Norte.
Four hundred sixty-four of the 689 CLOAs are for the ARBs in four towns and one city in Zamboanga del Norte, while the remaining 225 are for the ARBs in two Zamboanga del Sur municipalities.
DAR Regional Director Julita Ragandang said in a statement that the 464 CLOAs for Zamboanga del Norte covers the total area of 756.7044 hectares in the municipalities of Godod, Sirawai, Siayan, Sindangan and Dapitan City with 394 ARBs.
Ragandang said the CLOAs distributed by De Los Reyes were received by the representatives of the ARB-recipients in a simple turn-over ceremony.
Of the 464 CLOAs, 297 were handed over to Felix Ligutom for the ARB-recipients of Godod; 34 CLOAs to Majid Baid for Sirawai; 81 CLOAs to Eufrocina Quitong for Siayan and Sindangan; and 52 CLOAs to Abraham Bayron for the ARBs of Dapitan City.
Ragandang said that the 225 CLOAs for the two towns of Zamboanga del Sur were also received by the representatives of the ARB-recipients.
Ragandang said 144 of the 225 CLOAs were turned over to Expedito Padigos Sr. for the ARBs of Dumingag town and 81 CLOAS to Flordeliz Dagooc for the ARBs of Vincenzo Sagun municipality.
She said De Los Reyes also turned over 20 multi-million Agrarian Reform Communities Projects-Phase 2 (ARCP2) to the Zamboanga del Norte provincial government for the towns of Labason, Baliguian, Leon Postigo and Sindangan.
She said that Labason has the most number of projects among the four towns with eight; Baliguian, five; Leon Postigo, four and Sindangan, three.
She said the distribution of CLOAs and turn-over of ARCP2 projects was witnessed by Zamboanga del Norte Governor Roberto Uy, Dipolog City Mayor Evelyn Uy, Mayors from the different municipalities, farmers and other stakeholders.
She said De los Reyes was in Dipolog City for the groundbreaking of the P58 million rehabilitation project of Dipolog Communal Irrigation System located at Sitio Banicapt, Galas, Dipolog City.
Ragandang said the project is funded by ARCP2 with 50 percent counterpart from the city government of Dipolog.
The project will be implemented by Vicente Lao Construction and is expected to be completed in 210 days.
Once completed, Ragandang said the project is expected to benefit not only the 486 ARBs in the village of Galas but also the farmers in the nearby villages.
The project runs through Barangay Gulayon, Sta. Felomina, Galas, Olingan, Punta and Sinaman, Dipolog City.
The completion of the project is expected to increase the cropping intensity of the farmers in the area and enhance their living condition through increased crop production, Ragandang said. (Bong Garcia)