ONE thousand agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in northern part of Negros Occidental have received mobile phones from President Rodrigo Duterte.
The President during the massive distribution of certificates of land ownership award (Cloas) in Balay Kauswagan, Sagay City on March 8 promised to give cellphones to farmer-beneficiaries.
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)- Negros Occidental I, in a statement on Monday, April 15, said the phones were given in a separate distribution rites recently.
The distribution was led by DAR- Western Visayas Director Stephen Leonidas along with Assistant Regional Director Ronald Gareza and Officer-In-Charge Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Carlos Padilla.
Recipients were ARBs from cities of Bacolod, Talisay, Silay, Cadiz and Sagay, and town of E.B. Magalona.
DAR- Northern Mindanao Director Joseph Orilla, who helped in the delivery of the mobile phones, said this is just a partial distribution.
It can be recalled that a total of 2,495 farmer-beneficiaries in the province received their Cloas from the President in March.
The distribution of mobile phones for other ARBs is scheduled in the coming days, Orilla added.
Local farmers thanked Duterte as well as the DAR for these phones which they considered as blessing, the statement also said.