TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) -- A total of 1,316 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in Eastern Visayas received their own individual electronic titles (e-titles) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) during the regionwide mass distribution of the Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAS) held at the Leyte Progressive High School Gym, Tacloban City on Friday, July 7.

The regional distribution, led by DAR-8 regional director Atty. Robert Anthony Yu, together with some local officials in the region, was held simultaneously with the nationwide distribution of land titles and the signing of the New Agrarian Reform Emancipation Act by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., at the Kalayaan Hall, Malacanang Palace.

In his message, Director Yu said the newly passed Agrarian Emancipation Law is another significant milestone in the history of agrarian reform for it will benefit many farmers.

However, he reminded the beneficiaries not to sell the land awarded to them, instead make it more productive.

“At ang reminder ko lang po sa inyo ay huwag po natin ibenta ang lupa na inaward dahil libre na po ito. Pagyamanin niyo po ang lupang ibinigay sa inyo,” Yu said.

In response, Lorna Bituon Maballo of Merida Leyte, expressed her happiness as she extended her thanks to President Marcos for signing the new law.

She assured the government that the land given to her will be taken cared of for it will be the source of their livelihood.

“Masaya kami, maraming salamat kay Presidente, sa gobyerno na binigyan kami ng lupa na walang bayad at dapat lang hindi naming ibenta dahil bigay yun at para sa pangkabuhayan namin,” Maballo said.

Jovita Nabalo, a resident of Pinabacdao, Samar, who is also an agrarian reform beneficiary, expressed her heartfelt thanks to the President as well as to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

“Salamat mahal naming Pangulo Marcos dahil wala na kaming babayaran sa Landbank, sa lupa namin na ibinigay ng DAR. Salamat sa DAR Region 8, salamat sa DAR-Samar,” Nabalo said.

Tingog Party-list Representative Jude Acidre also shared his thoughts on the passage of the new law.

While he lauded the president for asking congress to pass a law that will strengthen the agrarian reform program and free the farmers from debt, Acidre emphasized that owning a land means responsibility.

Thus, he urged the beneficiaries to give importance to it and never sell the land so they have something to leave behind for their children’s future.

Under the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, the individual loans of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB’s), including interests, penalties and surcharges secured under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) or from other agrarian reform program or laws are condoned and written off by the government, thereby relieving them from the burden of payment. (MMP/CBA/PIA-8)