14,000 farmers to benefit from land distribution

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Agrarian Reform-7 has targeted 5,876 hectares of land to be acquired within the year as a total of 10,065 hectares of agricultural lands were already distributed for 2011 in Region VII.

DAR-7 regional director Rodolfo Inson, in a press conference, yesterday assured that the remaining 19,613 of agricultural lands will be distributed on June 30, 2014, which will benefit 14,000 to 16,000 beneficiaries.

The region has a Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program-Land Acquisition and Distribution scope of 197,692 hectares. As of March 31, 2012, it has distributed a total of 178,079 hectares benefitting 137,104 agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Atty. Esther Nadela, DAR Legal Division chief, said that unawareness of the farmers’ rights and responsibilities is one of the challenges that the department has been facing.

However, she added that the empowerment of farmers through education and massive information campaign, and protecting their rights are solutions to solve this problem.

Inson added that while fast-tracking land acquisition and distribution, DAR is also mandated to provide a package of support services to its beneficiaries through the program beneficiaries development which aims to capacitate the farmers and provide them access to support services to increase farm productivity.  (FREEMAN)