BUTUAN CITY, Philippines - The government's land tenure program has already benefited some 6,696 beneficiaries in the various provinces of the Caraga Region, particularly those living in far-flung communities. It was gathered that these former landless farmers are now cultivating the 12,053 hectares of land since last year under the said government's land tenure program. In Sibagat town alone, in Agusan del Sur province, about 2,667 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB's) benefited from the program, said regional agrarian information officer Joey Ceballos. ''This land tenure program to landless farmers will continue in other parts of this region,'' added Ceballos.
Meanwhile, at least 472 farmers were awarded with their certificates of land ownership agreement or CLOA from the government in the various villages in Las Nieves town, Agusan del Norte. After more than two decades, these ARBs received some 760 hectares located in the villages of Katipunan, Malicato, Bonifacio, Rosario, San Roque, San Isidro, and Marcos Calo, all of that same town. Agrarian reform officials, along with Agusan del Norte Gov. Enrico R. Corvera and Las Nieves Mayor Reinerio P. Rosales personally handed the CLOAs to the ARBs at the Las Nieves gym last week. Jubilant farmers were elated by the government's Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) now expeditiously implemented by the Aquino administration.
