CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)--Along with the signing of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., on Republic Act No. 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, 1,641 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in northern Mindanao also got their e-titles and certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)-10, July 7, here.
 
A total of 610,054 ARBs will benefit from the said law, Marcos said, adding that the beneficiaries' total payables will amount to P57.65 billion, including amortizations, interests, and surcharges, which are considered "dormant receivables."
 
"Ikinararangal ko na pirmahan ang batas na ito para tuluyan nang makalaya sa pagkakautang ang ating mga magsasaka mula sa araw na ito," Marcos said.
 
(I am honored to sign this law so that our farmers can be completely free from debt from this day forward)
 
Further emphasizing the significance of the said law, DAR Sec. Conrado Estrella III said with RA 11953, it will be easier to achieve the President's goal of food security for the country. It would also give importance to the farmers "whom Filipinos depend on for their daily nourishment."
 
Showing his support for the law, Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said, "To me [this is] one of the best achievements of Pres. Marcos and our Sec. Conrad Estrella. Now we are really, really, really emancipating our beneficiaries because today the President has signed Republic Act 11953."
 
CLOA distribution in Normin
 
Following the ceremonial signing of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, DAR-10 gave out the CLOAs of the 1,641 ARBs in the region, covering 1,469.3402 hectares. Of that number of ARBs, 772 are from Bukidnon, Camiguin (33), Lanao del Norte (523), Misamis Occidental (228), and Misamis Oriental (85).
 
Thankful for the CLOA, Hercolano Paradero, 65, ARB from Sapad, Lanao del Norte, said such will greatly aid them in providing for their family, particularly in their children's and grandchildren's education.
 
"Sa dugay namo nga gipaabot nga ma-award sa amo ang among CLOA title, karon pa nga higayuna naabot. Kini ang amo nga giapply nga CLOA right ato pang mga pagsugod gyud sa DAR nga programa," Paradero said.
 
(We have been waiting for a long time for the awarding of our CLOA title, and now the moment has arrived. This is the CLOA right that we applied for right at the beginning of the DAR program)
 
After the distribution of CLOA, DAR-10 Regional Director Zoraida Macadindang said support services will follow, such as training, orientations, and seminars for farmers.
 
"We lead them to the market, we capacitate them, we will help them sell to the market, we also help them access to credits. Maraming mga services man ang ginahatag ang (a lot of services are provided by the) Department of Agrarian Reform through the cooperatives or individually," Macadindang said.
 
The regional CLOA distribution was also held in 13 other areas of the country, spearheaded by the DAR regional offices and local government units. (RTP/PIA-10)