SAN ANTONIO, Nueva Ecija (PIA) — Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III led a dialogue with farmers from the Elfleda Marcelo Properties in Barangay San Mariano, San Antonio, Nueva Ecija.
The meeting aimed to engage potential and actual agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), assess the on-ground implementation of land acquisition and distribution (LAD) in the said area, update them on the Supreme Court-ordered land revalidation, clarify next steps, and address farmers’ concerns.
According to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Elfleda Marcelo, et al. landholdings, covering a total of 114.7 hectares, are under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Sixty hectares have been distributed to 106 ARBs through five Collective Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CCLOAs) and are now under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (Project SPLIT), while the remaining 54 hectares are being implemented under the regular LAD program following a final and executory Supreme Court decision affirming CARP coverage.
During the dialogue, Estrella explained that the visit was meant to personally check on the farmers’ situation after years of legal disputes and challenges in accessing the land.
“Ngayong nakapasok na sila, sabi ko, papasyal ako doon at kukumustahin ko sila, para makita ko rin kung ano pa yung iba’t ibang klaseng tulong na puwede nating ibigay sa kanila (Now that they have already moved in, I said I would visit them and check on them, so I could also see what other kinds of assistance we can provide),” he said.
Estrella assured the farmers that the land awarded to them will remain in their possession and directed concerned DAR officials to fast-track processes toward the issuance of individual land titles under Project SPLIT.
“Kasi [CCLOA] ito… Mahirap malaman kung saan-saan kayo. Kaya, siyempre, there is no substitute. Wala pong kahambing na mayroon kayong kanya-kanyang titulo ninyo. Sa susunod na babalik ako rito, ang gawin natin, magkakaroon na kayo ng indibidwal na titulo (Because this is CCLOA… It’s hard to know where each of you are located. So, of course, there is no substitute. Nothing compares to having your own individual land titles. The next time I return here, what we will do is give each of you an individual title),” he emphasized.
Additionally, Estrella ordered the assessment of farm-to-market roads in the area and cited the need to provide farm machinery, institutional support, and training in farm management, marketing, and new agricultural technologies.
The Secretary further relayed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to fully support ARBs, including the condoning of amortization payments on awarded lands.
As part of his visit, Estrella distributed breadfruit seedlings to farmers, encouraging them to plant alternative and nutritious food sources that could supplement rice consumption.
He also shared simple ways to process and cook the fruit, noting its low glycemic value and high nutritional content.
Meanwhile, farmers expressed heartfelt gratitude for the government’s assistance.
Samahang Magsasaka ng Barangay San Mariano President Leonardo Talens said they were overjoyed with the support they received.
“Nagpapasalamat po kami sa ating Pangulo na si Ferdinand Bongbong R. Marcos Jr. at kay DAR Secretary sa puspusang pagtulong ninyo sa amin. Iyan po ay hindi makakalimutan ng Samahang Magsasaka ng Barangay San Mariano, at hangga’t kami ay nabubuhay, hindi namin ito makakalimutan. Bilang kinatawan at pangulo, isang tinig kaming nagsasabi: maraming-maraming salamat po. (We express our gratitude to our President, Ferdinand Bongbong R. Marcos Jr., and to the DAR Secretary for your wholehearted support. This will not be forgotten by the Samahang Magsasaka of Barangay San Mariano, and as long as we live, we will always remember it. As their representative and president, we speak with one voice: thank you very much),” he added.
The initiative forms part of DAR’s ongoing efforts to ensure the full and lawful implementation of agrarian reform programs and to address the long-standing concerns of farmers on the ground. (CLJD/MAECR, PIA Region 3-Nueva Ecija)
