PANABO CITY, Davao del Norte (PIA) — Local chief executives of Davao del Norte lauded the presence of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr during the distribution of certificates of mortgage condonation and land titles to agrarian reform beneficiaries conducted on December 5.
In their respective address during the distribution ceremony done at the Panabo City Multi-purpose Gymnasium, both Panabo City Mayor Jose Relampagos and Davao del Norte Provincial Governor Edwin I. Jubahib expressed appreciation for President Marcos for giving a significant dent on efforts of emancipating ARBs from land debts.
In his opening message, Mayor Relampagos expressed gratefulness that the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) staged the event with President Marcos in the city of Panabo dubbed as the Agro-industrial Gateway to the World.
He took it to mean that the services delivered to “Panaboans, is service to God.”
Davao del Norte Provincial Governor Edwin I. Jubahib expressed his faith on the Agrarian Emancipation Act as a liberating factor leading to the transformation of lives of the agrarian reform beneficiaries.
“This day marks a historic chapter not only for Davao Region but for the entire nation. It is a testament that with strong political will we can transform the lives of the Filipino people for the better. Through the Agrarian Emancipation Act, we are empowering the Filipino farmers by granting them land ownership and fostering economic liberation,” Jubahib said
It is through the mandate of the Agrarian Emancipation Act or Republic Act No. 11953 that DAR issued Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgages (COCROM) to ARBs to free them of debts incurred under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
The ceremony this morning kicked off the initial distribution of a total of 9,058 COCROM to 6,948 ARBs in the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental.
These initial release of certificates of mortgage condonation cover 10,181 hectares of agricultural land across the three provinces and will condone ARBs their total debts of ₱527,694,544.54 since 1988 up to July 2023.
ARBs of Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental and Davao City will also be receiving COCROMs during the second batch of distribution that DAR XI has set on Dec 11 in Davao del Sur.
Jubahib cited the presence of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as a show of commitment for the ARBs and the farmers.
“This shows his unwavering commitment to agrarian reform and social equity. His act inspires us to work harder to uplift our people especially those who cultivate our land, the backbone of our agricultural economy”
Jubahib committed the support of his provincial administration to further uplift the economic status of farmers.
“Together with the Department of Agrarian Reform, and under the visionary leadership of our very own president President Bongbong Marcos Jr., we will continue to advocate for programs that will strengthen the rural community, and uplift the agricultural sector.”
On top of COCROM, DAR also distributed certificates of electronic land titles to ARBs and regular Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) during the same ceremony. (JMDA)
