COTABATO CITY – Some 110 farmers in the province of Tawi-Tawi will now be able to till a land of their own as they received their certificates of land ownership award (CLOA) from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) during a ceremony held on March 13.
The distribution of 100 CLOAs to 110 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) covers a total of 318.1282 hectares. The ARBs are from the barangays of Balimbing and Parangan in Panglima Sugala town.
MAFAR Minister Mohammad Yacob said that with the existence of the CLOAs, the farmers completely secure ownership over the lands and may develop them with the ministry’s support and interventions.
“We, from MAFAR, thought that one of our top priorities is Agrarian Reform Program. I am always looking forward that someday all farmers in the region will be given lands because we believe na hindi po farmer ang mga tao na walang lupa,” Minister Yacob said.
“Sinasabi po namin palagi na hindi po kayo isang organisasyon o grupo lamang, kundi kayo po ay aming mga partners for development. Hindi po matutupad and vision ng BARMM kung hindi po sa inyong participation as a partner in the development of our region,” he told the beneficiaries.
Joining Yacob during the CLOAs distribution ceremony were
𝖣𝖾𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝖠𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗋𝗂𝖺𝗇 𝖱𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗆 (𝖣𝖠𝖱) 𝖴𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌𝖾𝖼𝗋𝖾𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖬𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖺𝗇𝖺𝗈 𝖠𝖿𝖿𝖺𝗂𝗋𝗌 𝖠𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖽𝖺 𝖲𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖼𝗈𝗉𝖺𝗇, 𝖯𝖺𝗇𝗀𝗅𝗂𝗆𝖺 𝖲𝗎𝗀𝖺𝗅𝖺 𝖵𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝖬𝖺𝗒𝗈𝗋 𝖧𝗈𝗇. 𝖣𝖺𝗒𝖺𝗇𝗀 𝖨𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝖲𝖺𝗁𝖺𝗅𝗂, and MAFAR 𝖣𝗂𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗈𝗋 𝖦𝖾𝗇𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗅 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖡𝖺𝗇𝗀𝗌𝖺𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗈 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖠𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗋𝗂𝖺𝗇 𝖱𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗆 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝗏𝗂𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝖣𝗋. 𝖳𝖺𝗎𝗀𝖺n 𝖪𝗂𝗄𝖺𝗒, P𝗋𝗈𝗏𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅 𝖣𝗂𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗈𝗋 𝖣𝗋. 𝖠𝗂𝖽𝖺𝗋𝗎𝗌 𝖭𝖺𝗆𝗂 and 𝖠𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗋𝗂𝖺𝗇 𝖱𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗆 𝖣𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖢𝖠𝖱𝖯𝖮 𝖤𝗇𝗀𝗋. 𝖩𝗂𝗆𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝖩𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗅𝗎𝗅.
In her address, Usec. Sangcopan stated, “The 𝗀𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗇𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍’𝗌 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗂𝖼𝗂𝗉𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗏𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝗌𝗂𝗀𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗌𝗍 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖿𝖺𝗋𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝗐𝖾𝗅𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝖺𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗎𝗉𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖽𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗉𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗁𝗈𝗅𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌.”
Sangcopan urged the recipients to not sell or pawn the lands awarded to them. She further explained that the CLOA will serve as a legal proof that they are the true owners of their lands.
Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Sahali expressed her gratitude to MAFAR for having her constituents being selected as CLOA recipients. She said receiving the land titles before the Holy Month of Ramadan begins is a great honor and privilege. (Kasan Usop, Jr./BIO with reports from MAFAR)