The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform together with the Department of Agrarian Reform distributed the land titles to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries in BARMM.
Today, July 16, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod B. Embrahim, Al-Haj, Minister Mohammad S. Yacob, Ph.D., Director General for Agrarian Reform Taugan S. Kikay, Ph.D., Atty. Kazel C. Celeste, Undersecretary Field Operations Office (FOO), and Amhilda J. Sangcopan, Undersecretary Office for Mindanao Affairs (OMA) led the ceremonial distribution at Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex, BGC, Cotabato City.
Minister Yacob said in his speech that this event is a manifestation of the commitment of the BARMM government led by the Chief Minister to push its 12-point priority agenda to support farmers, fisherfolk, and agrarian reform beneficiaries.
He said that MAFAR’s policy direction is to strengthen the agrarian reform program in the region because it’s a key to sustainable peace and development if we settle the land. Also, MAFAR tries to distribute the land to the landless community in BARMM since it’s the priority of our President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.
A total of 876 agrarian reform beneficiaries received their respective individual CLOAs during the distribution.
The comprehensive agrarian reform program aims to grant landless farmers and farm workers ownership of agricultural lands.
Chief Minister Ebrahim said, “I am pleased to join the farmers in receiving the Certificate of Land Ownership Award which is a program of BARMM on behalf of MAFAR because finally they will have their own land to cultivate and can generate their income.”
BARMM together with the National Government will continue to distribute land titles to our farmers since this is the right and dream of the Bangsamoro. This is one of our many advocacies to provide a better and more prosperous future for the Bangsamoro farmers, fisherfolk, and agrarian reform beneficiaries, the Chief Minister emphasized.
The CLOAs will cover a total area of 1, 379.1287 hectares. From the Province of Tawi-Tawi, 393 CLOAs with 697.2429 hectares will be distributed. From the SuluProvince, 473 CLOAs with 662.618 hectares. In Maguindanao, 5 CLOAs with 12 hectares will be distributed. Lastly, 5 CLOAs with 7.2678 hectares will be received by the ARBOs from Special Geographic Areas of the Bangsamoro.
Meanwhile, Atty. Celeste said on behalf of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III, we are delighted that we are part of this event since it is important to our President that we deliver personally our services to our farmers and ARBs since they are the backbone of this nation.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa Bangsamoro government at higit sa lahat ang ARB, dahil kayo po ang aming partner sa pagsisiguro na ang bawat pamilya sa Bangsamoro region ay may pagkain sa hapagkainan at kayo po ang aming partners sa magsisiguro ng kaunlaran sa kanayunan,” Usec. Sancopan said.
