CARP beneficiaries contest construction of 2-room school building in Tanjay City

 DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  – Farmer-beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) are appealing to concerned parties to halt the construction of a two-classroom school building at Brgy. Sta. Cruz Nuevo in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, as they claimed ownership of the land at the project site.

On Thursday, some CARP beneficiaries reportedly proceeded to the Don Placido Mapa Memorial School (DPMMS) in Sta. Cruz Nuevo to halt the construction of the building, invoking ownership of the land by virtue of the Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) given them by the DAR.

Rolando Quemada, a CLOA holder, told The FREEMAN in a telephone interview the land on which the school building is being constructed forms part of the land given him under the CARP.

He said he was alone on Thursday when he went to see Celsa Comcom, head teacher of the DPMMS, to tell her to stop the construction of the extension building.

Quemada said nothing substantial came out of the meeting, so he proceeded to the office of the village chief but the latter was not around at the time.

The CARP beneficiary disclosed eight CLOA holders are part of the collective ownership of the 6-hectare property awarded them.

He said they have been tilling the land for quite some time now and were surprised to learn that a school building would be constructed in the property.

Quemada said he had earlier filed a complaint with village chief Steve Teves regarding the school project but this has not been solved until today.

He and his fellow CARP beneficiaries are questioning the authority by which the building is constructed, adding he has learned that it was the Department of Education that was funding the project.  (FREEMAN)