Duterte distributes land titles to BARMM farmers

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte recently led the distribution of certificates of land ownership awards (CLOAs) to 793 agrarian reform beneficiaries in Basilan, Maguindanao and Tawi-Tawi.

Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones said the CLOAs cover 1,742 hectares of agricultural land.

“Take care of your land. Huwag ninyo ipagbili,” the President said in his speech during the awarding ceremony at the Shariff Kabunsuran Cultural Complex in Cotabato City on Monday.

The land distribution is the first under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform of the newly created Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

CLOAs covering 238.9 hectares under the Department of Agrarian Reform’s post-land distribution program were also turned over to 93 beneficiaries at the same event.

Agrarian cooperatives in the BARMM were also provided farm machineries and crop seedlings as part of the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support program of the Department of Agrarian Reform.