The Department of Agrarian Reform – Negros Island Region (DAR-NIR) distributed 7,798 land titles and turned over P67.6 million worth of farm machinery and support services at the Manuel Y. Torres Memorial Coliseum and Cultural Center in Bago City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, December 4.
It also condoned P1.79 billion in agrarian debts, benefiting thousands of farmers across the Negros Island Region, a press release from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said.
The activity was led by DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella Ill and attended by over 5,000 participants, including 4,500 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) from Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.
Of the total land titles distributed, 2,242 were new Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) and 5,556 were e-Titles, covering a combined 5,524.42 hectares awarded to 4,788 ARBs.
Alongside these, 15,000 Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (CoCRoMs) were issued to 13,822 ARBs in Negros Oriental, formally condoning P1.79 billion in unpaid land amortizations and interests under the New Agrarian Emancipation Act.
DAR-NIR also provided P67.6 million worth of farm machinery, organic fertilizers, and agricultural inputs to 71 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organizations (ARBOs).
The support package included cargo trucks, farm tractors, mini tractors, a solar water pump, and a multi-role power station, all aimed at enhancing productivity and sustainability in agrarian reform communities.
DAR-NIR Regional Director Lucrecia S. Taberna said the initiative goes beyond mere land distribution, underscoring the true measure of agrarian reform is not only in the titles the agency has distributed but in the lives they help transform.
The DAR Central Office, led by Estrella, also extended P6 million worth of relief assistance to ARBs affected by the recent calamities.
The activity also aligns with DAR Negros Island Region’s first anniversary as a regional office.*