NEGROS OCCIDENTAL (PIA) –- More than 70 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) from the towns of Toboso and Calatrava in northern Negros Occidental are now land owners after receiving their Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) from the Department of Agrarian Reform-North.

A total of 62 ARBs from Toboso received their land titles over a 16.1129-hectare property formerly owned by Lydia Lizares, located at Barangay San Isidro.

Calatrava MARP Officer Ruby Pontino led the distribution and also installed the ARBs as new property owners of the agricultural land.

“As new landowners, may this opportunity fuel you in cultivating the land and be more encouraged to increase agricultural productivity. DAR shall continue to provide support services that may help you move forward," Pontino said.

Under Land Acquisition and Distribution of the CARP-CARPER program, public and private agricultural landholdings are acquired by the government to be distributed to tenants, farmers, farmworkers, and/or other tillers who are qualified to become ARBs, in the form of CLOAs covering 1 contiguous tract or several parcels of land cumulated up to a maximum of 3 hectares per ARB. (AAL/EAD-PIA6 Negros Occidental)