DAR provides greater economic liberty for ARBs

GEN. SANTOS CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has provided greater economic liberty as it releases more land titles to the farmer-beneficiaries in Mindanao.

In Sarangani, some 4,800 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) received their Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs).  The ARBs were represented by 30 farmer-beneficiaries during the Mindanao-wide CLOA distribution in Davao City.

“Dako among pasalamat sa atung Pangulong Duterte nga iya kaming gipahiluna sa among mga uma ug aduna mi’y mas dakong katungod karon sa pagdumala sa among yuta” (We are thankful to Pres. Duterte for making sure we have now full ownership and control over the awarded lands),” Avelino Aballe, a farmer-beneficiary from Malungon, Sarangani, said.

The distributed lands covered 10,430 hectares from seven municipalities of Sarangani and from General Santos City.

Another beneficiary from Maitum, Sarangani, Edwin S. Ganuan Sr shared: “Being a beneficiary for 13 years, I had not yet enjoyed the full advantage of the CLOA I received.”

“I have pending amortization since life was difficult being a widower and had to raise nine children. 

But I’m grateful to DAR’s new order, we now have freedom to enter any economic venture we choose,” Ganuan added.

During the ceremony, Agrarian Reform Secretary John R. Castriciones said the event was the first turnover of the CLOAs which were deposited first to the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

“The turnover is pursuant to Administrative Order No. 5 Series of 2019,” Castriciones said.

Complying A.O. No. 5, all original of the owner’s duplicate copies of land titles provided under the land reform were turned over to the farmer beneficiaries even to those who have pending amortization.

Sarangani Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer for Land Tenure Security Program Ramonito C. Marciano explained that before this new order, the original owner’s duplicate copies of the CLOAs and Emancipation Patents (EPs) were required to be submitted to the LBP.

The ARBs will pay to LBP as the mortgagee-bank, the value of the awarded lands in 30 annual amortizations at 6 percent interest per annum. 

“Under A.O. 5, the LBP will no longer serve as the repository of CLOAS,” Marciano said.

“Instead, the provincial agrarian reform office will immediately release the titles to the farmer-beneficiaries upon registration and receipt from the Register of Deeds,” Marciano added.

“DAR is true to its commitment to uplift the lives of the ARBS with the releasing of CLOAs and EPs even without full payment of amortization,” Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer II Felix C. Frias said.

“With the actual and physical possession of land titles, our ARBs can use their titles as loan securities to banks or have freedom to engage in productive ventures,” Frias added. (Agnes Torino-DAR Sarangani)