PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos has vowed to expedite the processes for the distribution of land ownership titles to farmer-beneficiaries of agrarian reform within the year.

In a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, Marcos directed the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to step up its efforts to distribute the certificates of land ownership awards (Cloas) to beneficiaries as he vowed to support them and improve their living conditions.

The DAR earlier said around 34,500 collective CLOAs covering 345,089 hectares of land and issuing 134,000 individual titles to ARBs are subject for subdividing.

They are also looking forward to the approval of the Senate version of House Bill 6336 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which is expected to ease the financial burden of ARBs by condoning unpaid amortizations and interests.

The said bill also seeks to exempt the payment of real estate tax on agricultural lands awarded under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp).

In September, Marcos issued an executive order for the one-year moratorium of the annual amortization and interest payments of the beneficiaries of the agrarian reform, which is among his promises during his first State of the Nation Address.

This aims to help unburden the agrarian reform beneficiaries from their debts, enabling them to use the money instead in developing their farms, maximizing their capacity to produce and propel the growth of the economy. (SunStar Philippines)