DAR to distribute 4,400 hectares of reservation areas in North Cotabato
AGRICULTURE • 10:15 AM Fri Aug 7, 2020
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By:
Rodel D. Orejudos, DAR-North Cotabato Information Officer Designate
Engr. Reynaldo Anfone, provincial agrarian reform provincial officer II, DAR personnel survey the area to be disperse to farmers. (Prov'l gov't file photo)
KIDAPAWAN CITY - The Department of Agrarian Reform is set to distribute 4,463.2122 hectares of reservation areas under the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) and the Cotabato Foundation College of Science and Technology (CFCST) in the municipalities of Arakan and President Roxas in North Cotabato on August 25, 2020, an agrarian refomr official today said.
Engr. Reynaldo Anfone, provincial agrarian reform program officer II, said that DAR will be awarding 3,286 Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to more than 3,035 farmer-beneficiaries of the reservation areas covering six barangays of Arakan and one barangay of President Roxas.
Areas covered in Arakan, according to Anfone, includes barangays Malibatuan, Naje, Makalangot, Badiangon, Meocan and Doroluman in Arakan while only barangay Ilustre in President Roxas was included.
“The USM and CFCST reservation areas with an approximate 7,200 hectares was allocated to the academes under the Proclamation No. 428 signed by then President Carlos P. Garcia in 1957,” Anfone said.
Anfone added that based on the actual perimeter survey conducted by DAR, the USM reservation area has an area of more or less 5,018 hectares, of which 1,000 hectares was allocated to CFCST.
“This project is expected to greatly impact the security of land tenure of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in the area. With the issuance of CLOAs, land ownership will be ultimately confirmed and enjoyed by these ARBs. Their aspirations for a secured land ownership will be finally achieved,” Anfone said.
Some remaining 20.8875 hectares of the total reservation areas with 11 potential agrarian reform beneficiaries, according to Anfone, are pending for judicious security of documents and validation.
“Considering the health protocols due to COVID-19 pandemic, the distribution ceremony will only be attended by selected 750 agrarian reform beneficiaries’ representatives,” Anfone said.
Anfone also said that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will be represented by Secretary Atty. John Castriciones in awarding the CLOAs to the beneficiaries.