Agrarian reform beneficiaries warned vs selling land titles

MANILA, Philippines  — Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones has warned agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) against selling land titles awarded to them under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

“Anyone found to have sold their farm lots will be stripped off their right to the lot. It will be confiscated and redistributed to another qualified farmer-beneficiary,” Castriciones said.

He issued the warning during the distribution of certificates of land ownership award to 55 ARBs in Oriental Mindoro on Thursday.

The land titles cover 93 hectares in Calapan City as well as the towns of San Teodoro and Naujan in Oriental Mindoro.

At the same event, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) handed farm inputs to representatives of various ARB organizations.

The farm inputs include vegetable seeds and fertilizer.

DAR undersecretary for support services Emily Padilla said the distribution of farm inputs is part of DAR’s productivity assistance program amid the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic.

The program is dubbed PaSSOver ARBold Move to Heal as One, Deliverance of our ARBs from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The assistance is intended for vulnerable ARBs who received their land titles from 2010 to 2019,” Padilla said.