COTABATO CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao continues to hold a series of conferences in each of the 5 component provinces of the region to help identify assistance needed by agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) and tackle unresolved issues on land distribution.
ARMM Agrarian Reform Secretary Amihilda Sangcopan said the series of conferences will help them come up with the right plan.The first ARB provincial conference was held on April 24-25 in Basilan and then followed by Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao conferences are scheduled this month, she said.
“We will find out the support service that our farmer-beneficiaries are expecting. We will also find out how we’re going to develop agrarian reform communities, assist agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations and increase their productivity level,” she said.
The region presently has a total of 68, 087 ARB based on the latest record of DAR-ARMM. It will also distribute certificates of land ownership to identified farmer-beneficiaries during the event.
In Maguindanao, more than a hundred farmers are expected to receive Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA), entitling them the right of an owner over a piece of land.
Lands distributed under DAR’s CLOA cannot be sold, transferred or donated within 10 years upon awarding, except through hereditary succession or if sold back to the state or to another qualified beneficiary within the 10-year period.
Sangcopan said the provincial conferences will also serve as buildup to an ARB Congress scheduled on June 15. The congress will be one of the highlights of the agency’s anniversary celebration.
DAR is the leading agency concerning the “implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program of the government through land tenure improvement, agrarian justice delivery, and coordinate delivery of essential support services to program beneficiaries.” (Bureau of Public Information)
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