DAR meets its target for land distribution

The Department of Agrarian Reform has slightly exceeded its target on land distribution in 2005 by one percent, and distributed over 6,000 hectares to qualified farmers in the region.

According to the data of the Department of Agrarian Reform 7, the office distributed a total of 6,938 hectares in 2005, one percent higher than its target of 6,850 hectares for that year.

Cebu farmer beneficiaries were given a total of 2,000 hectares; Bohol, 938 hectares; and Negros Oriental, 4,000 hectares.

DAR 7 director Yusoph Mama said that hundreds of farmers are benefiting from DAR projects.

DAR 7 distributed 232 certificates of land ownership awards in Toledo City during President Arroyo's visit there early this month. Over 388 hectares were also distributed to 258 farmers in the towns of Barili, Tabuelan, Carmen and Daanbantayan and in Toledo City.

DAR 7 also reported that it has facilitated the construction of 1,021 kilometers of farm-to-market roads, 1,400 meters of bridges and provided irrigation to 7,763 hectares of agricultural land in the different agrarian reform communities in the region.

Earlier, over 700 farmer-beneficiaries in Carmen town received certificates of land ownership awards covering 492 hectares from the DAR, Province of Cebu.

DAR has distributed 622 CLOAs to 791 farmer-beneficiaries in barangays Cantipay, Hagnaya, Baring, Corte, Triumpo, Natimaoan, Cantucong, Fuente, Luyang, Sac-on, and Dawis Sur in the northern town of Carmen.

The giving of CLOAs was part of the National Livelihood Support Fund under the Office of the President. The land distribution was approved during the Aquino administration yet, the statement said.

Mama said the farmers do not have to pay for the land they received "but they should not forget to pay their realty tax."

He also advised the beneficiaries to make their land productive. "Save your earnings, do not indulge in gambling or other vices. Not everybody is given the chance to have land for free," he said. - Jasmin R. Uy