THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental-North, through its Legal Assistance Division, has conducted a series of meetings on "Cascading of New Normal Protocols" among its personnel.
The three-day activity held at the Northwest Inn in Bacolod City recently focused on strengthening the division's new normal practices in response to Republic Act (RA) 11469, or the "Bayanihan to Heal as One Act."
Lawyer Leandro Castro, chief of the Legal Assistance Division, said the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic may have changed their regular activities but it will not prevent them from fulfilling our responsibilities.
"While our top priority is the satisfaction of our clients, we must also never forget the safety of our staff," he said, adding: "We can function well if we are secured and safe."
The division, during the activity, also tackled its accomplishments for the first semester of the year.
DAR Negros Occidental I said it was commended for overshooting the target in Agrarian Law Implementation (ALI) cases.
It earned the top spot for the most number of ALI cases resolved in Western Visayas.
"These are manifestations that even in a global pandemic, the agency continues to adapt and craft new ways to function effectively and efficiently," it added.
Aside from Land Acquisition and Distribution and Support Services Delivery, the DAR has a mandate to uphold agrarian justice.
Under RA 6657, the agency is vested with the primary jurisdiction to determine and adjudicate reform matters and to extend free legal assistance to farmer-beneficiaries affected by agrarian cases.
These are anchored on its mission to hold and implement comprehensive and genuine agrarian reform which actualizes equitable land distribution, ownership, agricultural productivity, and tenurial security for the farmer-beneficiaries.