President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the distribution of land titles to beneficiaries in Tacloban City on May 20, 2024. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of the Presidential Communications Office
TACLOBAN CITY — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the distribution of land titles to 5,438 farmers from different areas in Eastern Visayas at the convention center here on Monday, May 20.
The President, in his speech, vowed to complete the land distribution to identified farmer-beneficiaries before his term ends in 2028.
Among those who received her certificate of land ownership award (CLOA) was Vicencio Mercader, 80, from Barangay Palid, Leyte town, Leyte.
READ: ‘Labor of love:’ Marcos distributes CLOAs to Central Visayas folk
Mercader said he could not contain his happiness.
“Finally, after waiting for more than 40 years, I now have my own land to farm. At least I received the title while I am still alive although (physically) weak,” he said.
Two of his seven children were also beneficiaries of land titles from the government.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the distribution of land titles to beneficiaries in Tacloban City on May 20, 2024. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of the Presidential Communications Office
According to Mercader, he and the rest of the beneficiaries from their town would be going home “happy and fulfilled.”
Palid, he said, is located in a mountain and they have to cross a river to reach their village – an ordeal they endured to finally claim their land from the government.
Marcos said that as of May, his administration has distributed more than 15,000 hectares of agricultural lands benefitting over 9,000 farmers.
READ: Marcos to DAR: Identify beneficiaries at once, hurry up land distribution
Marcos also said his administration intends to distribute 23,000 hectares more.
“So, I wish that within my term, all agrarian reform beneficiaries will receive the title of their own land. We will finish it in the next four years,” the President said in Filipino, in a speech on Monday afternoon.
“We all know that you’ve waited too long to have your own farmland. This administration is ensuring the fulfillment of our promise of agrarian reform nationwide,” he added.
Agrarian Reform Sec. Conrado Estrella III accompanied Marcos during the land distribution event.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the distribution of land titles to beneficiaries in Tacloban City on May 20, 2024. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of the Presidential Communications Office
Marcos directed the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to further strengthen its various programs like Project SPLIT or Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling.
Of the 5,438 land titles distributed on Monday, 5,400 were made under SPLIT Project with the remaining 38 certificates through CLOA distribution.
During his visit, Marcos also distributed P509.45 million worth of support services to about eight agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations consisting of farm-to-market roads, irrigation projects, farm machinery and PBBM (Pag-Agraryong Tulay para sa Bagong Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka).
Others who joined the President during the event were Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez, Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan, and Gov. Damian Mercado and Rep. Christopherson Yap, both of Southern Leyte.