THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental-South has turned over certificates of land ownership award (Cloas) to 26 farmer-beneficiaries in Bago City.
They will share almost 16 hectares of the landholding formerly owned by Roberto Benediction located at Barangay Binubuhan.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Rosario Norbe, who spoke at the turnover rites on Friday, July 6, assured the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) of the government’s continuous support through various support services.
Under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), the DAR has been providing support including credit assistance, farm machinery, free agrarian legal advice, and consultation to farmers who have land problems.
Norbe urged farmer-beneficiaries to protect and defend their rights over the land and refrain from engaging in illegal activities particularly “ariendo” system or leasing of land.
Under the CARP law, selling and leasing of lands are prohibited.
“There is no reason for ARBs to engage in ariendo system since the DAR has buckets of support services,” Norbe added.
She, however, pointed out that these services are not given individually so farmers are urged to form an association or cooperative.