PALAYAN CITY – A total of 1,073 farmers from various Central Luzon provinces received land titles, machineries and credit facilities in ceremonies led by Senators Imee Marcos and Francis Tolentino at the Nueva Ecija Convention Center here Thursday.
Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the massive distribution of support to the farmers was in accordance with the vow of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to uplift the plight of the agriculture sector.
“Yun hong ipinangako ng ating pangulo na bibigyan kayo ng mga farm machineries and other equipment narito ngayon,” Estrella said.
According to the DAR, the recipients of certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) came from the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Bataan, Zambales, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Tarlac.
“Ito talaga ang pangarap ng aking ama (late Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.) na kung tutuusin ilang beses niyang dinidiin ang tinatawag at makasaysayang Presidential Decree no. 27,” Marcos said. PD 27 was Marcos Sr.’s land reform program.
The senator said PD 27 was the only law written by hand by her father if only to make sure that the decree will be followed to the letter.
Both Marcos and Tolentino agreed that the issuance of land titles would not be enough to fully free farmers from poverty. They vowed to support the administration in providing more support to the agriculture sector including provision of machineries and equipment, fertilizers, and other inputs.
Aside from CLOAs, also distributed were P4.4-million worth of farm machineries and equipment to the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations, 31 of which have also received credit assistance from DAR and several other programs of the national government.
