DAET, Camarines Norte –A total of 100 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) received Individual Electronic Certificates of Land Ownership Award (E-titles) and Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) covering 207.0547 hectares of land in Camarines Norte recently.

Of the total 100 beneficiaries, the E-titles were received by 90 ARBs which was funded by the World Bank Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) and 10 were received by farmers under the regular funds from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) through its Land Tenure and Improvement Division (LTID).

The individual 10 CLOA received by farmers came from the Collective Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CCLOAs) title which the DAR divided for each farmer.

The receipt of the 102 land titles of the 100 ARBs marked a significant event in the lives of beneficiaries. These land titles represent more than just ownership but a promise of a brighter future for these dedicated farmers.

This monumental act of land distribution is aligned to President Ferdinand R. Marcos’ commitment to empowering farmers and communities, by granting them the rights to the land they till.  It is a step forward in building a more equitable and sustainable agricultural sector not only in Camarines Norte but for all farmers in the country. It also provides a promising future to those who tioled hard to increase the nation's food production.

“Sa tagal na 20 years, hindi ko pa asawa si Misis, salamat at naibigay na itong title na matagal ng pinangarap at kahit nagtagal eh libre naman, wala tayong alalahanin, ito ay biyaya mula sa Diyos at ng Pangulo, at kaming ARBs ay nagpapasalamat sa mga taong ginamit para dito,

(It has been 20 years, and during that time, I still haven't met my wife. I am thankful that the title that i have been dreaming of is finally in our hands.  Although it took us a long time to get this, its all worth the wait, and its free. This is  a blessing from God and the President. We, ARBs thanked all those who work for this)," Reynan Brizo, 42 years old, one of the ARB beneficiaries from Mampurog, San Lorenzo Ruiz town said.

Brizo  said that he has witnessed the services extended by the government like providing training and machineries. The Land Bank also extends financial help for their capital.

He urged his fellow ARBs to fulfill their borrowed financial obligations, and stressed that assuming that the government's support exempts them from paying their loans, will impede the progress of farmers.

Brizo cited that whenever they avail loans from the Land Bank, they see to it that they have  strategies to repay the borrowed amount. One of those is by simultaneously  planting pineapple while raising hogs to ensure that  they still have fund sources in case one of these two options fail.   

The ARBs who received the E-Titles under SPLIT came from the following towns: Basud with 3;  Capalonga – 7; Jose Panganiban-25; Labo East-13; Labo West-15; Mercedes –5; Paracale -16' and Sta. Elena – 8. Meanwhile,  E-titles for CLOA were received by 7 ARBs fromf San Lorenzo Ruiz  and 3 from  Sta. Elena.

 “Yang mga titulong ipapamahagi namin sa inyo ay hindi produkto ng isa o dalawang linggo lang na pagpupunyagi ng aming tanggapan. Yan ay dumaan sa napakarami at napakahabang proseso na pakikipag-ugnayan sa iba’t-ibang mga ahensya ng gobyerno ( The land titles we will be distributing is not just a product of one or two weeks work of the DAR. Those  titles undergone a lot of process through collaborations with different government agencies)," DAR Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Camilo A. Del Monte  said during his welcome remarks.

He emphasized that the success of the awarding of land titles was a collaborative effort of the DAR Camarines Norte and other 

government agencies especially the Provincial Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Implementing Team, including the Landbank of the Philippines (LBP),  Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Registry of Deeds (ROD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Provincial and Municipal Assessors Offices.

Provincial Administrator Don Eduardo Padilla who represented  Gov. Ricarte Padilla congratulated the ARBs and expressed the commitment of the provincial local government to give continuous support to farmers and the whole agricultural sector throughout Camarines Norte.

The awarding was also witnessed by contingents from the DAR Regional Office, led by Assistant Regional Director for Operations (ARDO) Engr. Romulo A. Britanico and Assistant Regional Director for Administration (ARDA) Rodrigo O. Realubit, along with OIC-CARPO for Regional LTID Florentina R. Escolano, OIC-SAO Lorelie Aytona and Engr. Maria Teresa B. Banua.

This endeavor was meticulously coordinated by the Project SPLIT Team, and the LTID  under the leadership of CARPO Odessa Cabezudo.

The awarding ceremony was witnessed by the partner government agencies, provincial and municipal assessor’s offices of the town’s beneficiaries. (PIA5/Camarines Norte-with reports from DAR Camarines Norte).