DAVAO CITY (PIA) -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reiterated his administration’s commitment to help farmers raise the level of farming through a whole-of-government approach under the Bagong Pilipinas master plan.

During the distribution of electronic land titles (eTitle) to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the Davao region on Wednesday, Feb. 7, President Marcos acknowledged the hard work of farmers and he said it pains him to see them stricken by poverty.

 “Nakakadurog po ng puso na hanggang ngayon ang pinakamahirap sa ating bansa ay ang ating magsasaka. Kayo ang nagpapakain sa amin.  Kayo ang bumubuhay hay sa buong Pilipinas, sa buong mamamayang Pilipino. Ngunit ang tulong na nanggagaling sa ating pamahalaan, sa ating lipunan ay napakaliit naman. Kaya, ito ay papalitan natin,”the President said.

He told the ARBs, who are also farmers, that the provision of land titles is just the beginning to help uplift the farmers and ensure food security.

“Ang pamimigay ng titulo sa ating mga magsasaka ay unang hakbang lamang sa pagkamit ng kanilang kalayaan sa kahirapan. Kaya naman ibubuhos ng pamahalaan ang mga serbisyo’t ayudang kailangan ng magsasaka. Ilan sa mga ito ang mga libreng punla, abono, at mga kagamitan ng pansaka,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, ARBs in Davao are happy that they can now claim ownership over the land they tilled since they already have the hard copy of individual title.

Among the beneficiaries is Dexter Angelo Jocom, an ARB from Davao de Oro, along with his 68 ARB-members of the Davao Fruits Corporation Pentagon Active Workers Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative Multipurpose Cooperative (DFC-PAWARBMPC).

“Dako kaayo ning pasalamat namo kay in terms of ownership, naa na jud kay magunitan na title na nakapangalan sa amoa (We are very grateful because in terms of ownership, we have now in our hands a land title that has our name on it),” Jocom said.

Rey Mosqueda, an ARB from Davao City, emphasized that he won’t forget this day as he received the title of the two-hectare land that helped their family sustain their needs.