44 agri grads receive land from DAR

MANILA, Philippines — Graduates of agriculture-related courses received on Friday land titles to their own plots of land that will be their respective “farm laboratories” as they venture into farming.

The 44 fresh graduates and qualified recipients from Cagayan and Palawan provinces were the first batch to receive one hectare of land each from the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) program that aims to encourage the youth to take up farming.

“I believe that this incentive of awarding them lands will make the fresh graduates harness the farm lots they will receive since these will serve as their ‘farm laboratories’ on which they could apply the theories and best practices that they learned from their schooling and that would benefit millions of Filipinos in ensuring food security,” Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones said.

The DAR said it had identified 230,000 hectares of idle government lands that could be distributed to new agriculture graduates.

In Cagayan province, 30 agriculture graduates, received plots of land in Lallo town. The recipients were between 25 and 35 years old.

In Busuanga Pasture Reserve in Palawan, 14 individuals were also awarded with farmlands.