3,615 Region 8 farmers get 5,921 has. from DAR

Despite difficulties arising from resistance by landowners, the Department of Agrarian Reform in Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) recently distributed 5,921 hectares of agricultural lands to 3,615 farmer-beneficiaries.

Agrarian Reform Secretary Horacio Morales Jr. lauded the regional DAR office, saying it was one of the biggest accomplishments ever achieved so far by his department at any one time.

"This is the first time in my term that so much land has been distributed at any one time in a region." Morales said during a ceremony at Ormoc City's sports stadium, where he turned over to farmer leaders 755 emancipation patents (EPs) and certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) covering the distributed lands.

Of the distributed lands, 2,218 hectares were located in Leyte with 1,523 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), 2,332 hectares were in Northern Samar with 1,366 ARBs, 1,140 hectares in Western Samar with 582 ARBs, and 321 hectares in Eastern Samar with 144 ARBs.

Morales himself had a taste of how it was to be resisted by a landowner when he had to pass through a roadblock during a visit last Jan. 12 to the farmer-beneficiaries' community inside Hacienda Ma. Theresa in Barangay Boroc.