Sen. Imee Marcos vows to improve welfare of country’s farmers

Sen. Imee Marcos during one of the meetings in the Senate. Senate PRIB file photo / Bibo Nueva España

TOLOSA, Leyte — Senator Imee Marcos on Thursday vowed to improve the condition of the country’s farmers under the administration of her brother President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Imee visited Tolosa town on Thursday afternoon to lead the distribution of certificate of land ownership awards (CLOAs) to 1,006 farmers coming from the six provinces of the region, covering total hectares of 1,571 hectares.

The senator, in her speech, assured farmers that under her brother’s administration, their welfare would be one of his utmost concerns and eventually would result in their total “emancipation from the burdens of the soil.”

Imee said President Marcos had just signed an executive order to pay amortization and interest on loans for agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the Marcos administration is ready to provide all the needed assistance for the farmers, like construction of farm-to-market roads, irrigations, fertilizers, and equipment like tractors.

Eufemia Balendo, 74, from Tunga town, Leyte, said she was happy to finally receive the CLOA with her name written as the rightful owner.

Since the land she has been tilling for decades is now under her name, she said she could pass it on to her three children.

“I am grateful to our government for giving us the title. We have been waiting for this for more than 30 years now,” Balendo said.

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JPV