DEBT CONDONATION. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (center) leads the distribution of Certificates of Condonation and Release of Mortgage to the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries in Bulacan during a ceremony at the Department of Agrarian Reform main office in Quezon City on Thursday (Sept 12, 2024), assisted by DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III. The condonation of all unpaid principal amortizations, interest, and surcharges of ARBs on agricultural lands awarded under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program is mandated under Republic Act 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which Marcos signed into law in July last year. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)
MANILA – The government on Thursday officially relieved over 1,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in several towns in Bulacan of their PHP274.9 debts and obligations on agricultural lands awarded under the agrarian reform program.
This as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the distribution of 1,119 Certificates of Condonation and Release of Mortgage, encompassing 1,728.349 hectares of land, to the ARBs in Bulacan during a ceremony at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) main office in Quezon City.
The ARBs are from several municipalities in Bulacan, namely San Miguel, Baliwag, San Rafael, San Ildefonso, Angat, Bustos, Norzagaray, Balagtas, Bocaue, Pandi, San Jose del Monte and Sta. Maria.
The condonation of all unpaid principal amortizations, interest and surcharges of ARBs on agricultural lands awarded under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program is mandated under Republic Act 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act (NAEA), which Marcos signed into law in July last year.
Likewise, 343 Certificates of Land Ownership Award covering 232.76 hectares were awarded to 287 ARBs from Nasugbu, Batangas.
In his message, the President said he is hoping that relieving farmers of their debts and obligations will further help them improve their quality of life.
“Kaya hinahangad ko, ng administrasyon ko, na ang inyong naipon na sana ay ipambabayad sa lupa, ay inyo ngayon magagamit para sa ibang bagay na makakatulong sa inyong mga kinabukasan (That's why I, my administration, want that what you have saved to pay for the land, can now be used for something else that will help improve your future),” Marcos said.
“Makakaasa po kayo na nandito ang buong pamahalaan upang umagapay sa inyo at tumugon sa mga pangangailangan ng sambayanan. Magsilbi nawang hudyat ang araw na ito para sa inyong unang hakbang tungo sa kasaganahan (You can count on the entire government to support you and respond to the needs of the people. May this day serve as a signal for your first step towards abundance),” he added.
The Chief Executive also reiterated his promise to finish the distribution of land titles under the agrarian reform program under his term.
He said DAR has so far distributed over 136,000 land titles to ARBs nationwide, while some 100,000 titles are set for distribution in the remaining months of 2024.
6K ARBs in N. Ecija get share
Meanwhile, 6,000 ARBs in Nueva Ecija will receive their Certificate of Condonation and Release of Mortgage (CoCRoM) from Marcos on his birthday on Friday.
In a press release, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said that 9,832 CoCRoM covering 10,450 hectares of agricultural lands would be distributed by the President to farmer-beneficiaries at the Nueva Ecija Coliseum, Palayan City.
Estrella said these beneficiaries would also be relieved from paying their loans, totaling PHP277 million under the agrarian reform program.
DAR Central Luzon Regional Director James Arsenio Ponce said that aside from the CoCRoM, the President would also distribute around PHP41 million worth of agri-credit checks to 480 ARBs representing 12 ARB organizations in the province.
Cebu ready for ‘Handog ng Pangulo’
In Cebu, over 5,000 individuals will receive various assistance from government agencies during the “Handog ng Pangulo” on Friday.
Acting Gov. Hilario Davide III said Thursday all systems go for the Cebu version of the simultaneous distribution of government aid in celebration of the President’s birthday.
“Government agencies like the Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority will give out assistance to the people of Cebu,” Davide said.
He said TESDA will distribute allowances to its scholars.
The members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Joint Task Group Cebu and the Cebu Police Provincial Office would help make the event orderly and safe.
P10M floating tillers
In Negros Oriental, nine units of floating tillers with an aggregate cost of PHP10 million will be turned over to rice farmers associations during the simultaneous distribution of comprehensive government assistance.
"This is in line with the Bagong Pilipinas brand of leadership that espouses the necessity and effectiveness of bringing the government close to the people,” Alejandro Rafal Jr., provincial chief of DA-Provincial Agriculture Technology Coordination Office (DA-PATCO), said.
The farmer associations to receive the assistance are coming from Guihulngan City, Canlaon City, and Zamboanguita. (With reports from Marita Moaje, John Rey Saavedra, Mary Judaline Partlow /PNA)
