A total of 677 certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) were distributed to agrarian reform beneficiaries during a simple ceremony last August 13 in Panabo City, Davao del Norte.
The CLOAs cover a total of 741 hectares of agricultural lands.
Despite the pandemic, the DAR is continuing with its mandate and even visits various sites in the countryside to see that the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) is on the right track.
“In the time of the pandemic, the real heroes are our farmers,” DAR Secretary John R. Castriciones was quoted in a statement as saying. “The effect of the pandemic is real.”
DAR Davao Region Regional Director Joseph H. Orilla said the awarding of titles to the farmer-beneficiaries in Davao Region is the ultimate step towards the completion of the implementation of the CARP.
“This will secure the ownership of the ARBs to the lands awarded to them, and begin the next phase of the CARP, which is to render support service to these ARBs through the provision of capability development training and common service facilities, with a vision to optimize the potential to market their produce to the public,” Orilla said.
He added that the ARBs themselves will become optimistic on the possibility that greater economic opportunities will be opened to them after they receive these CLOAs.
“Notwithstanding the continuous threat of the pandemic, DAR Davao Region remained resilient and was able to distribute 677 Certificates of Land Ownership Award already registered with the Register of Deeds,” Orilla said.
According to Orilla, the distribution in the region include the following: Davao City with 10 CLOAs for nine ARBs comprising of 8.269 hectares (has); Davao del Sur with 272 CLOAs for 265 ARBs comprising of 285.8478 has.; Davao del Norte with 174 CLOAs for 120 ARBs comprising of 194.8351 has.; Davao Oriental with 17 CLOAs for 16 ARBs comprising of 21 has.; Davao Occidental with 11 CLOAs for 11 ARBs comprising of 16.2498 has.; and, Davao del Oro with 193 CLOAs for 259 ARBs comprising 214.7548 has.