CONDONED LOANS. At least 10,945 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Caraga Region will directly benefit from the passage of the New Agrarian Emancipation Bill or Republic Act 11953, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday (July 7, 2023) in Malacañang. Photo shows several of the ARBs in Caraga during the distribution of the 4,505 hectares of lands conducted by the regional office of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, also on Friday. (Photo courtesy of DAR-13)
BUTUAN CITY – Farmers who are beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program of the governmen expressed appreciation for the passage into law of the New Agrarian Emancipation Bill, the Department of Agrarian Reform in the Caraga Region (DAR-13) said Friday.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the new law, Republic Act (RA) 11953, in a ceremony Friday in Malacañang.
In this region, DAR-13 Director Merlita Capinpuyan said 10,945 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) will directly benefit from the new law.
“Around PHP1,001,753,813 amount of loan of our ARBs in the region from the Land Bank of the Philippines will be condoned through the new law,” Capinpuyan said.
Of the total loan, she noted that the PHP474,493,176 principal amount has an accumulated interest of PHP527,260,637.
The loan condonation will cover 12,933 Certificates of Land Ownership Awards and Emancipation Patents covering some 18,666 hectares (has.) of lands previously released by DAR-13 to beneficiaries.
Under the new law, all loans of the ARBs, including interests, penalties, and surcharges from the land awarded through Presidential Decree No. 27, RA 6657, and RA 9700 will be condoned.
Meanwhile, in time with the nationwide distribution of e-titles and CLOAs, DAR-13 said around 4,505 has. of lands from the region’s various provinces were distributed to 2,687 ARBs on Friday in a ceremony held in Barangay Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.
Of the total number of land distributed, 4,202 has. were covered by e-titles while 303 has. with CLOAs.
In the same event, 2,452 ARBs received their e-titles while 235 with CLOAs. (PNA)
