Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Tag: The Department of Agrarian Reform

Debt relief for 5,000 farmers in Bukidnon under new agrarian law

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MALAYBALAY CITY (Dec. 01, 2023/PIA) – Over 5,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) will benefit from Republic Act (RA) 11953, known as the New Agrarian Emancipation Act (NAEA), following the recent launch of the Condonation Response Desk (CORD) by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Bukidnon

Regional Director Zoraida Macadindang of DAR-Northern Mindanao said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed the NAEA into law on July 9 this year, which condones all loans, including interest, penalties, and surcharges incurred by ARBs from land awarded to them.
She said the CORD serves as a command center to expedite the processing of necessary documents for ARBs in the province’s 20 towns and two cities in compliance with the new law.
“The CORD aims to liberate ARBs from debt bondage, giving them leeway to boost productivity. Agrarian reform lawyers will be stationed at the quick response centers to aid in processing the applications of ARBs for debt condonation and amortization under RA 11953, or the NAEA,” Macadindang said.
The law’s benefits for ARBs include exemption from payment of estate tax and mandatory inclusion in the Registry System of Basic Sectors in Agriculture to give them easy access to support services of the Department of Agriculture.
Lawyer Mitchell Talatala, representing Malaybalay City Mayor Jay Warren Pabillaran, said the city government wholeheartedly backs the DAR programs.
“The New Agrarian Emancipation Act has waived debts and fees, including real property tax condonations, for our agrarian reform beneficiaries. It made a significant impact on their lives,” Talatala said.
Meanwhile, DAR-Bukidnon Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Jammal Pangandaman asserted that the new agrarian reform law empowers farmers to affirm and protect their rights.
“Agrarian reform is not just a set of policies. It is a social justice movement. It revolves around empowering farmers, the marginalized, and landless individuals,” he said. (By Bernadith G. Epan edited by RLRB, /PIA-10/Bukidnon)

Malaybalay City coop acquires P3-M combine harvester from DA-NorMin

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MALAYBALAY CITY, BUKIDNON – The Linabo Agrarian Reform Cooperative (LARC), a ninety-active-membered farmers’ group, is eyed to augment their productivity and income after being granted a combine harvester worth P3 million (M) from the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-10) headed by Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado

On July 21, Field Operations Division chief Luz I. Guzman, Ph.D. together with Bukidnon Provincial Operations Center chief Janet D. Lopez, DVM of DA-10, led in conferring the certificate of turnover thru the City Government of Malaybalay, helmed by Mayor Jay Warren R. Pabillaran represented by its Chief Executive Assistant Anthony James Mondia, and finally, to the benefitting coop, LARC led by its Chairperson Aurelio E. Salem.

Pooled from CY 2022 funds under the agency’s Corn program, said unit is a grain crop, labor- and time-saving harvesting machine that combines reaping, threshing, cleaning, and bagging into a single operation.

It is targeted to serve LARC’s existing production area, which is composed of 236.7 hectares for corn, and 196.7 hectares for rice, with a potential area of 200 hectares.

Dr. Guzman urged them to value and maximize the use of said machinery by setting aside funds for its repair and maintenance, which would overall help elevate LARC’s operations.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mondia noted the synergistic efforts – from the national, provincial, city, and down to barangay governments- to acquire a combine harvester unit that would directly benefit the farmers in barangay Linabo.

In response to the messages of support and anchoring on the coop’s mission of uplifting the life of its members and agrarian reform beneficiaries, LARC chairperson Salem is grateful that the government has seen its potential to manage the combined harvester.

Likewise, the coop head committed that under his wing, they will exercise responsibility, accountability, and transparency, in whatever available resources they have for the benefit of their members, fellow farmers, and their community.

Apart from the provided machinery, LARC has also availed other forms of assistance from DA-10, such as agricultural inputs and financial aid.

Now in its silver year, it continues to venture into production, processing, and marketing, with reach not just limiting to the locality but also in the cities of Valencia, Cagayan de Oro, and Iligan, and the towns of Maramag and Cabanglasan in Bukidnon.

Also supporting the cooperative during the turnover ceremony is the City Government of Malaybalay thru its agriculture and engineering offices, the local barangay of Linabo, and the Department of Agrarian Reform. (DA RDO0-10)

DAR releases 1,847 CLOAs, ₱30.5M CLAAP aid in Bukidnon

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MALAYBALAY CITY (Mar. 7) – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has distributed a total of 1,847 Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) to 1,705 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries from the province’s 20 towns and two cities.

DAR Sec. John R. Castriciones, led the distribution ceremony held at Kaamulan folk Arts Theatre, Kaamulan Park, Malaybalay City on March 6.

The total area in Bukidnon that has been distributed under the program is 1,331.7782 hectares.

Pangantucan town has 337 CLOAs, the largest that has 339 beneficiaries covering 60.4954 hectares.

But in terms of area, the largest land distributed is in Talakag town with a total of 202.0865 hectares with 251 CLOAs and 245 beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, DAR also turned over ₱30.5 million worth of Convergence on Livelihood Assistance for ARBs Project (CLAAP) in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

In the press conference after the program, Castriciones said, in Region 10 a total of 2,168 hectares is the target for distribution.

He clarified that the 1,393 hectares or 68 percent of the total area for distribution are under Convergence Areas for Peace and Development (CAPDev) in the region.

Castriciones said CLOA cannot be sold or mortgage within 10 years of the release to beneficiary.

The agency emphasized that the distribution of CLOAs to the landless farmers provides security of tenure resulting to the increase of income, improved quality of life of ARBs and thereby, significantly contributed to the reduction of poverty in Bukidnon.