175K ha of land distributed to thousands of Negros Occ. tillers in last 4 yrs–DAR

BACOLOD CITY—More than 175,000 hectares of land have been distributed to nearly 132,000 beneficiaries in Negros Occidental from 2008 to April 2012, the Department of Agrarian Reform report showed.

Aside from turning over 175,664 ha of land to 131,995 beneficiaries, the DAR will be distributing more land in Negros Occidental.

“We also expect to deliver 32,000 hectares more in Negros Occidental for 2012,” North Negros Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Enrique Paderes said.

According to Paderes, the DAR also held a “Claim Folder Days,” which aimed to hasten the processing of claim folders for Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Coverage (CARP) of land through voluntary offer to sell or through compulsory acquisition.

A brainchild of Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes, the holding of Claim Folders Day would provide updates and improve the Land Acquisition and Distribution database, he explained.

It would also determine the critical information of each landholding and its status, Paderes added.

Paderes said a continuous mass processing of claim folders was ongoing after a new system was adopted to help address problems that hinder claim folder processing.