DAR to distribute land titles to 44 agri graduates from the provinces of Cagayan and Palawan

Another milestone to the agricultural sector is set to happen on Friday, February 5, as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will have an inaugural distribution of certificates of landownership award (CLOAs) to 44 fresh graduates of agriculture-related courses, from the provinces of Cagayan and Palawan, to encourage the youth to engage in farming to keep the country’s food security on course.

DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones said this is the first time that the department would give free lands to agricultural graduates to enable them to practice their profession in their farms and encourage the youth to embrace farming to reinforce the ageing sector, in which the average age of some 11 million Filipino farmers is 57.

Brother John divulged that there is a study that the country may a face shortage of farmers if the agricultural workforce would not be replenished and it was said that the number of students in agricultural courses was declining yearly by 1.5 percent that would weaken the agriculture sector.

“I believe that this incentive of awarding them lands will make the fresh graduates harness the farm lots they will receive since these will serve as their “farm laboratories” on which they could apply the theories and best practices that they learned from their schooling and that would benefit millions of Filipinos in ensuring food security,” Brother John said.

The agrarian reform chief said the land for distribution are unused government-owned lands (GOLs), subjected under Executive Order (EO) No. 75, Series of 2019.

EO No. 75, Series of 2019, was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on February 1, 2019, to facilitate the process of subjecting GOLs under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

“The DAR has identified about 230,000 hectares of unused GOLs in the country. Portions of lands in the Cagayan State Univerity (CSU) in Lallo, Cagayan and the Busuanga Pasture Reserve (BPR) in Busuanga, Palawan, will be awarded to the graduates,” Brother John said.

The recipients of farmlands in CSU include Gilmar Jay Acebedo, lvin Agcaoili, Juanito Agluba Jr., Noel Compra, Julius John Dela Cruz, Welfredo Gacusan Jr.,  Victorino Lagudoy, Murphy Maingag, Manuel Kriston,Adones Ohayas, Fernando Rabut, McReymart Rabut, Sherwin Ramos, Jarren Ador Raquepo, Hener Ribis, Leonardo Sumauang, Ryan Paul Uson, Angelito Vagay Jerome Usabal, Angelica Adatan, Marife Allag, Analyn Bugnalon, Rica Enorme, Vanessa Gacusan, Jemimah Guzman, Melissa Joy Israel, Karen Grace Justo, Pauline Ordillo, Roshel Torrena, and Vanessa Usabal.

While the recipients of farmlots in BPR  are Gensefil Manginsay, Rommel Cagmat, Abigail Lagrada, Sunshine Araza, Florelyn Gutib, Bethel Joy Libarra, Arman Bacnan, Marydel Llanillo, Shahanie Diacasin, Dexter Edonga, Grecia Nimorca, Ronalyn Olanas, Necille Onayan, and Necca Juanerio Cabajar.

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DAR to launch its 3^rd Buhay sa Gulay project in Caloocan City

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is set to launch its 3rd urban vegetable farming dubbed as “Buhay sa Gulay” (BsG) project, on February 11, 2021, in an idle lot in Barangay 167, Sunriser Village, Caloocan City to promote farming and help reduce poverty, eradicate hunger, and contribute to food security among marginalized villages in Metro Manila.

DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones said this is the 3^rd urban vegetable farming that will be launched in Metro Manila.

Caloocan City is following the successes now being experienced by St. John Bosco Parish in Tondo, Manila which have launched its urban vegetable farming October of 2020 and by Barangay Bagong Silangan in Quezon City which launched its own Buhay sa Gulay project in a vast 7,000-hectare lot January 8, 2021.

Brother John said there are one hundred five (105) project participants who are residents of Sunriser Village and Vista Verde Executive Village identified as direct beneficiaries of “Buhay sa Gulay” project in Barangay 167, Caloocan City.

Castriciones said the urban vegetable farming project is a self-help start-up livelihood project where concerned government agencies and organizations will converge, share their resources, and offer an opportunity to enable the urban farmers to produce and eat fresh healthy vegetables and provide them with additional sources of income.

“This is a combined undertaking of the national government agencies, local government units, and community-based organizations led by the DAR, Department of Agriculture, the local government of Caloocan City, Agricultural Training Institute, residents of Barangay 165, 166, 167, and 168, and the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) of Cavite and Rizal,” Castriciones said

The Buhay sa Gulay” project is in line with the small brother-big brother” development strategy, wherein mature, established, and progressive ARB organizations (ARBOs) of DAR provide support and assistance to marginalized dwellers, who are mostly informal settlers, much akin to newly organized ARBOS struggling to keep its members and organization functioning.

The event’s highlights include the ceremonial unveiling of the “Buhay sa Gulay” project, signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and the vegetable planting ceremonies.

Signatories to this document are the DAR, represented by Calabarzon Regional Director Rene E. Colocar; Caloocan City Mayor Oscar “Oca” G. Malapitan; Congressman Dale “Along” R. Malapitan, Deputy Director Rosana P. Mula, Agricultural Training Institute; representative of ARBOs of Cavite and Rizal and Punong Barangays Victorio C. Dantes, Magdalena R. Gregorio, Antonio “Tony” L. Reyes and Crisanta S. Del Rosario of Barangay 165,166, 167 and 168 respectively.

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