COTABATO CITY—The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) on Tuesday, Dec. 28, distributed 295 Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to 351 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB) from the provinces of Maguindanao, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi.
Bangsamoro Senior Minister Abdulraof Macacua and MAFAR Minister Mohammad Yacob led the mass distribution of the CLOAs in a ceremony held in this city. They were joined by MAFAR Agrarian Reform Services Director Taugan Kikay and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Undersecretary for Mindanao Affairs and Rural Development Ranibai Dilangalen.
The CLOA distribution covers 788.9238 hectares of land in the aforementioned provinces. 146 of the beneficiaries were from Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao, 34 from Lamitan City in Basilan, and 171 from the municipalities of Bongao, Languyan, and South Ubian in Tawi-Tawi.
In his speech, Minister Yacob committed that MAFAR will continuously support the farmers and fisherfolks in the region to help them improve their livelihood.
“This day is very important not only for you beneficiary farmers but especially for us, because we are happy to be part of making your dream, of having your land, come true,” Yacob stressed.
“(Your land) can be the beginning of the gradual lift of your standard of living, (your) own land that can be inherited by your children one day,“ he added.
Since 2019, MAFAR has already granted 507 land titles to 758 beneficiaries across the Bangsamoro region, covering a total of 1,590.29 hectares.
Koteng Meto, a beneficiary from Maguindanao, promised to nurture his land and be a government’s partner in improving agricultural productivity in the region.
“Sa ngalan ng lahat ng ARBs at sa mga kasamahan kong miyembro ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), lubos po naming tinatanggap ang mga titulo naming bilang kapalit ng sinseridad ninyo na makamtan namin ang aming mga pangarap,“ said Meto, who is also an ex-MILF combatant.
On the other hand, Senior Minister Macacua said: “Yung pagtanggap ninyo sa CLOA na ito ay napakagandang opportunity na maipakita ninyo kung ano ang kakayahan ninyo para maiangat yung buhay ng tao natin (sa Bangsamoro). Kahit pamilya niyo nalang ang makaya niyo, maganda na ‘yung kontribusyon sa Bangsamoro Government at sa Bangsamoro people.” (Bangsamoro Information Office)
