Bangsamoro Government distributes 876 Certificate of Landownership Awards (CLOAs) to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) from various provinces of the region during the opening celebration of Bangsamoro Farmers and Fisherfolks Week on July 15, 2024. (Faisal Camsa Jr./BIO)
COTABATO CITY—Bangsamoro Government distributed 876 Agrarian Reform Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) from various provinces in the region on July 15 at the Bangsamoro Government Center (BGC) here.
The ceremonial distribution was part of the Bangsamoro Farmers and Fisherfolks Week celebration, during which the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) also provided various essential inputs and machinery.
ARBs from the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, and the Special Geographical Area (SGA) received land titles covering a total of 1,379.13 hectares.
“I am glad and proud to be with you today, especially with ARBs because I am part of an instrument in your dream to own a piece of land that will serve as your permanent home and the source of your income,” Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim said.
The Chief Minister also mentioned that the region’s priority is to work with MAFAR to ensure that farmers and fisherfolks receive essential support from the BARMM government to improve their lives and well-being.
“Rest assured that we will continue to distribute land titles to the landless in the region, in shaa Allah,” he added.
MAFAR Minister Mohammad Yacob emphasized that one of MAFAR’s main policy directions is to strengthen support for agrarian reform in the region.
“I believe that the key to sustainable peace and development in the region is when we fix the land titles here in the Bangsamoro region,” Yacob said.
Mohamad Saudi Pandas, an ARB from SGA, said, “We sincerely thank you, Chief Minister and MAFAR, for your help. We will be indebted to this provision of our land for the rest of our lives.”
Duran Sabta, an ARB from Sulu, also expressed gratitude to the government, saying, “We have waited for several years to own land. Together with our forefathers, we have waited even a hundred years now. Today, we cannot believe that our dream has come true with the help of the Bangsamoro government. Thank you very much.”
Meanwhile, MAFAR-BARMM has three flagship programs: Basic Intervention for Harmonized Intervention (BINHI) for agriculture, Integrated and Sustainable Development for Aqua Culture/Capture (ISDA) for fisheries, and Land Acquisition and Development for the Upliftment of Poor Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (LUPA) for the agrarian reform sector.
Under these flagship programs, MAFAR also distributed 7 out of 24 tractors to different cooperatives; 2 sacks of hybrid corn seeds and 2 bottles of fertilizers to each of 5 farmer beneficiaries affected by STS Paeng; P100,000 loans with zero interest to 20 cooperatives through the MAFARLENDS program; marine and freshwater gillnets to 20 fisherfolk beneficiaries; and additional drying racks to 20 farm beneficiaries.
Additionally, DAR Undersecretaries Atty. Kazel Celeste for Field Operations and Amihilda Sangcopan for Mindanao Affairs expressed their commitment to supporting the BARMM government in uplifting the lives of farmers and fisherfolks in the region.
MAFAR Deputy Minister Ammal Solaiman and Member of Parliament Matarul Estino were also present at the event. (Kasan Usop Jr./BIO)
