BALER, Aurora (PIA) — Farming households in Aurora gained improved economic stability as the government condoned over P850 million in land amortization debts of 73 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), easing financial burdens and allowing farmers to focus on productivity and family welfare.
Implemented under Republic Act No. 11953, the land debt condonation program cleared unpaid amortizations, including interests and penalties, formally freeing beneficiaries from obligations tied to the land they till.
Farmer-beneficiary Ermelinda Tatel of Casiguran town expressed gratitude for receiving her land title, describing it as a source of long-term security that allows her family to invest in education, livelihood, and future stability.
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Region III Land Tenure Services Head Illuminado Ocampo urged beneficiaries to value their land titles and sustain farming as a viable enterprise, noting the years farmers waited to secure individual ownership.
Alongside the debt relief, DAR awarded 21 individual land titles covering 17.5 hectares to 20 farmer-beneficiaries under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling or SPLIT Project, strengthening tenurial security and encouraging long-term agricultural investment.
DAR Aurora Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Josephine Aguinaldo encouraged beneficiaries to use their savings to enhance farm productivity and meet family needs, while assuring continued access to DAR support services.
ARBs were also reminded to complete title annotations, pay real property taxes, and maintain coordination with the DAR Provincial Office to fully benefit from government programs.
The initiative focuses on freeing farmers from long-standing financial obligations to allow greater investment in farm productivity and household welfare.
The Aurora land debt condonation and titling activity is part of a nationwide agrarian reform effort aimed at strengthening rural economies and food security. (CLJD/MAT, PIA Region 3-Aurora)
