Agrarian Reform Secretary Bernie Cruz led the distribution of 4,720 hectares of land to 4,754 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from various parts of Negros Occidental at rites held in Sipalay City, Tuesday, February 8.
He appealed to the beneficiaries not to sell, pawn or abandon the land given to them so that their children and future generations will also be able to benefit from it.
“I hope this will be a start of a better life for you,” he said.
Cruz said with the help of the DAR and the local government he hopes that the beneficiaries will be able to make the land given to them productive.
“Take care of the land and love it”, Cruz said.
The land distributed covered 17 municipalities and cities in Negros Occidental.
These are cities of Sagay, San Carlos, Silay, Talisay, Victorias, Bago, Himamaylan and Sipalay and municipalities of Toboso, Binalbagan, Cauayan, Hinigaran, Ilog, Isabela, La Castellana, Moises Padilla and Pontevedra.
Cruz said he visited southern Negros with President Rodrigo Duterte after Typhoon “Odette”. The president instructed the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources to coordinate and find land to help the farmers, he said.
The secretary has pledged that under his leadership, the DAR would double its effort to distribute all the remaining undistributed lands to the landless farmers, provide support services and bring social justice in agrarian reform communities.
He said there is less than 500,000 hectares of public and private land that they hope to distribute before the term of Duterte ends.*