Over 17,000 Caraga farmers finally hold the land they’ve tilled for decades
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 16 Aug) — For thousands of farmers in the Caraga Region, Thursday was not just another day: it was the day long-held dreams became reality.
In a ceremonial gathering at Datu Lipus Makapandong Cultural Center in Barangay Patin-ay in in capital Prosperidad town, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) awarded 33,694 hectares of land to 17,564 agrarian reform beneficiaries, finally placing the titles to the soil they have nurtured for years in their hands.
The vast distribution covered every corner of Caraga: 19,394 hectares in Agusan del Sur, 9,594 hectares in Surigao del Sur, 3,176 hectares in Surigao del Norte, 922 hectares in the Dinagat Islands, and 608 hectares in Agusan del Norte, according to the DAR Caraga Public Information Office.
During ceremonies streamed live by DAR Caraga, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III led the turnover rites, alongside regional and provincial leaders who stood witness to the moment that would change thousands of lives.
Among the recipients was 69-year-old Alicia Calolo, of Barangay Pulang Lupa, Trento, her voice quivering as she clutched the title to her 2.2-hectare farmland, a document she had been waiting to receive for over 27 years.
“Now, my family can say we truly own the land we have worked on for so long,” she told a staff of DAR Caraga regional office as tears welled in her eyes.
Not far from Calolo, 64-year-old Gil Villaceran of Barangay 5, San Francisco, smiled quietly, holding the title to his 1.9-hectare plot, a symbol of dignity and security for the years ahead.
The day’s generosity did not end with land. DAR also handed over 289 units of modern farm machinery and equipment worth nearly ₱40.4 million—tractors, rice harvesters, milling and drying systems, mushroom houses, and an array of tools designed to make farming less toil and more triumph—to agrarian reform organizations across the region.
To ensure the fields thrive, 23,588 bags of farm inputs valued at ₱19.9 million were also distributed to 133 organizations from 58 towns.
In an act of relief, DAR facilitated the condonation of land amortization for 10,400 beneficiaries, erasing the burden of ₱298.9 million worth of debt and covering more than 20,000 hectares of farmland.
Standing before the crowd, Estrella’s words carried a promise: “What is important is that we are together for a new beginning and a better future for all, especially for the ARBs of the Caraga Region.” (Chris V. Panganiban Sr. / MindaNews)
No comments:
Post a Comment