10 farmers received land from the Department of Agrarian Reform located in Guintigui-an, Ormoc.
Elenita Godin, a farmer from Barangay San Jose, Ormoc, never imagined owning a land someday which she had been tilling for over a decade.
She finally got her certificate of land ownership award (CLOA) this month, joining 10 other farmers in Ormoc who had been waiting for it for a very long time. The ceremony was conducted in Barangay San Jose, where the majority of the awardees live.
“I am thankful that the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) finally made this happen. The wait took a long time, but it was worth it,” said Godin who could not hide her happiness after receiving the CLOA.
Farmers Ernesto Bolakinia and Ramil Catado were equally grateful for the government's land reform program. “I now have something to leave my children with when I die,” farmer Bolakinia said.
The rice field handed to Bolakinia will support the education of his six children, he added.
Catado could not contain his happiness that he would no longer give shares to the previous proprietor. “All the harvests will now be ours,” he declared.
Anito Ygot and the Concepcion Espina Agricultural Corporation had previously owned the 6.8 hectares that were covered by the 10 individual CLOAs, according to DAR Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Ruben Rebato. Barangay Guintigui-an in this city is where the landholdings are located.
Rebato addressed the responsibility of the 10 recipients as agrarian reform beneficiaries, including the payment of land amortizations and real property taxes, as they are now recognized as landowners.
To make use of the many support services provided by DAR, he also urged the farmers to join ARB groups.
“DAR’s responsibility does not end with CLOA distribution. We will continue to provide you with support services to boost your capabilities to further develop your lands,” Rebato said.
Tags: #DAR, #Land Beneficiaries, #Farmers