The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) installed some 129 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in southern Negros Occidental as new owners of agricultural lands awarded to them under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) since January this year.
Data on Wednesday, May 15, showed the DAR Negros Occidental 2 (South) installed these ARBs on a total of 94.8399 hectares of landholdings from January 1 to May 15, 2024.
Also, the DAR distributed land titles for 398.1384 hectares of agricultural lands to 422 ARBs during the same period.
On May 7, the department installed 14 ARBs on their land in Barangay Bungahin, Isabela town, in rites led by Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Ariel Miranda.
The 7.3016-hectare landholdings formerly owned by Dolores Rufino were covered and acquired by the DAR through compulsory acquisition.
In the neighboring Moises Padilla town, 10 ARBs also occupied their land in Barangay Inolingan on the same day.
The landholdings of 12.4543 hectares, previously owned by Mercedes Montilla, were also covered and acquired through compulsory acquisition.
Under the process of land acquisition and distribution of the CARP Extension with Reforms, public and private agricultural landholdings are acquired by the government to be distributed to tenants, farmers, farmworkers, and/or other tillers qualified to become ARBs.
Leasing, selling, and unauthorized transfer of the awarded lot would cause their perpetual disqualification from CARP.*PNA