Surigao Sur town’s lone agrarian reform beneficiary finally ends 30-year tenancy
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
MARIHATAG, Surigao del Sur (PIA) – Richard B. Serra finally owns the land he and his family have been tilling for over 30 years in the town of Marihatag in Surigao del Sur after he received his land title from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
Serra
received his land title from no less than President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. who
was present when DAR distributed e-titles and Certificates of Land Ownership
Award (CLOAs) to the beneficiaries at the Datu Lipus Makapandong Cultural
Center in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur on February 16.
Serra
lauded the government for helping those less fortunate farmers like him who
could not afford to own farmland.
“Mapasalamaton
ako og dako sa atong Presidente Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa panagsa-on ra kaayo nga
oportunidad og paghatag og pagtagad sa mga kabus nga mag-uuma pinaagi sa
pagpadangat sa mga programa nga makatabang nga moasenso ang amo kinabuhi,” he
said.
[I am
very grateful to our President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for this rare opportunity
and for giving attention to the poor farmers by delivering programs that
improve our lives.]
“Dako na
kaayo ni nga tabang sa among adlaw-adlaw nga panginabuhian, og dili nako
matukib ang kalipay nga akong gibati, isip usa sa mga maswerte nga gihatagan og
pagtagad sa atong gobyerno pinaagi sa paghatag og titulo sa lupa.”
Richard B. Serra, a farmer beneficiary who received his land title during the recent distribution of DAR e-titles and Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) to the beneficiaries. He was 15 years old when he started to till the .8757-hectare hilly land in Barangay Sta. Cruz of Marihatag town. Photo courtesy of DAR.
(This is a big help in our daily lives, and the happiness I feel is indescribable. I feel fortunate to be among the farmers who have been acknowledged by the government through the issuance of land titles.)
He also
acknowledged the efforts extended by DAR, provincial government of Surigao del
Sur, other government agencies, and the barangay council for their untiring
efforts to implement the program on the ground.
Meanwhile, DAR Provincial Information Junelyn Pagaran shared that with the recent distribution of e-titles and Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) in Agusan del Sur, for the province of Surigao del Sur alone, DAR was able to distribute a total of 2,794.2236 hectares of land composed of 1,705 land titles to 1,472 farmer beneficiaries. (NGPB/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
