DAR: Pampanga farmers to receive 310 hectares of government-owned lands

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) on Wednesday said that it would distribute 310 hectares of idle government owned-lands (GOLs) to the farmers of San Agustin town in Magalang, Pampanga.

According to the DAR, it recently discussed with the local farmers of San Agustin the swift and efficient transfer of idle GOLs and to determine potential agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the province.

The vacant 310-hectare property of the Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU) in Magalang is the land that will be distributed.

The agency noted that the distribution of GOLs complies with the mandate of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., through DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III, “to provide farmers with agricultural lands to boost their economic lives.”

Central Luzon Regional Director Arsenio James Ponce announced that the DAR would start surveying the PSAU properties so that it could promptly grant individual land titles to qualifying ARBs.

“We ask the ARBs’ full cooperation and want their opinions on how we can survey the land faster. We will assess the result of this meeting and apply the best measures to implement this process quickly,” Ponce said in a statement.

Ponce revealed that this underutilized property would be put to good use by giving many farmers a means of subsistence, which would lessen rural poverty and boost the nation’s food security.

The Executive Order No. 75. Series of 2019 will be used to implement the distribution of lands to the ARBs, requiring all government agencies to give qualified recipients access to public lands used for or suited for agriculture. ­– Kimberly D. Albaño, INQUIRER.net intern

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