Bukidnon farmers query delayed title distribution

FARMERS in Bukidnon raised concerns over delays in the issuance of Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) in the province after the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently distributed more than 10,000 titles in the Caraga Region in December.

In a statement, the Don Carlos Bukidnon United Farmers Association, Inc. (DCBUFAI) said hundreds of its members are still awaiting CLOAs covering about 109 hectares of land in Don Carlos, Bukidnon. The land was formerly part of Bukidnon Farms, Inc., which was turned over to the government for redistribution in 1986.

The group said the prolonged processing has left farmers without tenure security, affecting productivity and exposing them to land disputes.

“Our members have complied with requirements and participated in the (agrarian reform) process. The slow pace of issuance deprives us of the stability we need to improve our livelihoods,” DCBUFAI President Jovencio Destor was quoted as saying in a statement.

The group urged DAR Region X to fast-track the processing and distribution of CLOAs to qualified beneficiaries in Bukidnon.

DCBUFAI and allied organizations have also asked the DAR Central Office to review bottlenecks in CARP implementation in Don Carlos, citing disparities in the pace of land title distribution across regions.

Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III earlier told BusinessWorld that DAR hopes to distribute 400,000 hectares of farmland to agrarian reform beneficiaries this year.

He said about 700,000 hectares of agricultural land are left to be awarded to farmers, with most of the land located in Mindanao and the Visayas.

“This year, we will go for 400,000 hectares and finish the balance by 2027,” he said via Viber. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel