BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.  recently  signed Republic Act No.11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, that will    benefit  thousands of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) all over the country including 402 farmers in  the Cordillera Administrative  Region.

The Department of Agrarian Reform – CAR headed by Regional Director Samuel Solomero with guests and ARBs from the different parts of region  witnessed the signing of   the  new  law via video teleconferencing  on  Friday (July 7) at Newtown Plaza Hotel here.

The new law condones all loans including interests, penalties and surcharges incurred by ARBs from  the lands  awarded to them under the Tenant Emancipation Decree of 1972, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988 and the   Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. 

For CAR,   402 ARBs with a  total of 392 e – titles covering an aggregate area of 477,159 hectares will benefit from the Agrarian Emancipation law.

The DAR – CAR joined the other regions in the country for the nationwide  simultaneous distribution of the Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) for the 402 ARBs in the region during the historic event.

Solomero, in his message, outlined the importance of the new law signed by the President in helping  farmers, the ARBs recover from the effect/losses that the pandemic and other recent calamities have brought to them.

“Ang batas na ito ay layuning palayain ang mga agrarian reform beneficiaries mula sa pasanin nilang pagkaka utang dahil sa lupang iginawad sa kanila ng gobyerno sa pamamagitan ng Department of Agrarian Reform”;

“Base sa umiiral na batas, ang ARBs na nagawaran ng Emancipation Patent o Certificate of Land Ownership Award, ay magbabayad ng taunang land amortization sa loob ng tatlumpung taon na may anim na porsiyentong interest kada taon. Batay sa batas ang lahat na hindi nababayarang amortisasyong principal, kasama ang interest, surcharges, at penalties ay mabubura ng batas na ito. Mabuhay ang Pangulo, mabuhay ang magsasaka, mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino!”, Solomero said.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, in his welcome message during the program, congratulated all the farmer beneficiaries and lauded the President and all other stakeholders who have played a vital role in the realization of the new Agrarian Emancipation Act and the successful awarding of the CLOA to the deserving farmer beneficiaries.

“Allow me to express my heartfelt appreciation to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Department of Agrarian Reform and all the government agencies involved in the successful implementation of our land reform program. Their relentless efforts and meticulous planning and unwavering resolve have paved the way for this historic gathering”, Magalong stressed.

Conegonda Tuscano, an ARB from San Juan Abra also expressed her gratitude to the President for signing the law and for the awarding of CLOA to the beneficiaries like her.

“Ako po ay nagpapasalamat sa ating President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. dahil sa pag - approve sa CLOA na nari – receive naming ngayon. At saka iyung pagpirma ng emancipation act na wala ng babayaran ang mga farmers”;

Ngayon ay very important day  kasi mabibigyan kami ng total rights na magkaroon ng lupa na sinasasaka namin. Itong sinasaka namin na lupa ay malaking tulong sa aming mga farmers dahil itong lupa na sinasaka namin na nagkaroon ng CLOA ngayon, ay nakatulong sa pag-aaral ng aming anak na pito para makatapos silang lahat”, Tuscano said. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)