Farmers are considered as the backbone of a functioning society, helping ensure food is on the table for every household. The Philippines, being an agricultural country, serves as the home for millions of farmers.
Juanito and Tessie Alcuirez, a married couple from Cebu, have lived off farming since they were young–both having been raised in a farming household. Now married for more than three decades and having children of their own, they are now relying on farming to help their children achieve their goals.
Like many Filipino households, the Alcuirez couple saw education as the first step towards a brighter future for their children. Yet, the journey to their destination wasn’t easy. But if there is a word to describe farmers in the Philippines, it’s that they are hardworkers–a characteristic the Alcuirez couple proudly possesses.
Their hardwork and resilience, with support from the government, were the tools the couple used to send their children to school.
The Alcuirez couple was among the tens and thousands of farmers who were given land titles by the government in line with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s goals of uplifting the lives of farmers in the Philippines, most of whom do not own the land they are tilling.
In fact, this was one of President Marcos’ promises during his presidential campaign–to provide Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOA) and land titles in a bid to give farmers a land of their own.
“Alam naman po namin na marami po sa inyo ay matagal nang nangangarap at nagsisikap upang magkaroon ng sariling lupa para sa inyong hanapbuhay. Eto na po at tinutupad po natin ang pangarap ninyo,” President Marcos said in his speech during a CLOA and land title distribution in Negros Oriental.
“Ito po ay simbulo ng taus-pusong pasasalamat ng sambayanang Pilipino para sa inyong walang sawang pagsisikap at katatagan sa pagsasaka sa ilalim ng init ng araw, sa gitna ng masamang panahon, at sa harap ng maraming pagsubok,” he added.
Through the land now titled under his name, Juanito and other farmers in the area were able to venture into other businesses such as vegetable farming and piggery.
Since he now owns the land, he fully reaped the success of his hardwork–this time, with no extra expenses such as rent.
With him being able to fully take home his income, Juanito was able to send his five children to school.
“Malaking tulong ito po. Kasi yung mag-trabaho lang tayo na hindi sa atin ang lupa…hindi granted na steady tayo sa area na namin. So pagkatanggap namin ng titulo, so nandyan kami ng agresibo na magkatayo ng malaking buhay, saka yung expansion sa babuyan kasi wala namang tao na magpa alis sa amin,” Juanito said.
“So malaking tulong po sa aming gastusin, sa aming pagpaaral sa aming mga anak,” he added.
Juanito is just one of the thousands of farmers who now have land under their own name, a step towards improving the life of farmers who are side by side with the government in gearing towards achieving food security.
The goal of the program is to not only directly help the beneficiaries, but also extend the impact to their families and loved ones. In Juanito’s case, it’s his children who are able to continue their studies through their parents’ livelihood.
Most recently on December 5, 1,251 land titles and 13,527 Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (CoCROMs) were distributed to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in Saranggani.
On top of this, President Marcos also distributed COCROMs to more than 11,000 beneficiaries from Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, and Davao Oriental, freeing farmers from their debts.
According to DAR, around 195,000 land titles have been distributed since the start of the Marcos Jr. Administration. A 1,100 percent increase compared to combined 17,640 titles, covering 26,403 hectares of farmlands, distributed to 17,549 ARBs in the last semester of the previous administration.
‘LABOR OF LOVE’
For President Marcos, the distribution of CLOAs and land titles to farmers in the country is not just a move to fulfill his campaign promise, but rather, a “labor of love.”
In one of his speeches, President Marcos recalled how land reform was one of the goals of his late father and former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr–a dream he wishes to continue working towards.
“Alam niyo po kung bakit sinasabi kong labor of love yan? Nagsimula ito noong panahon na ang Pangulo ay ang aking ama. Kaya’t noong kami ay umupo… ay nagtataka kami, tatlumpung taon na nag-aantay ang mga tao – umabot na nga 102 years ang ating pinakamasigasig, ang ating pinamalakas na magsasaka na hanggang ngayon nag-aanatay pa,” President Marcos said.
So far, the government, through the Department of Agrarian Reform, has distributed over 190,000 hectares of public and private agricultural land in Juanito’s home region of Central Visayas alone.
Government support, however, does not stop in the provision of CLOAs and land titles as beneficiaries are also given other forms of assistance such as machinery and farming equipment and debt condonation. Farmers are likewise given financial and legal assistance to help them kickstart, maintain, and eventually grow their livelihood.
“Ang mekanisasyon, ang pagbibigay ng ating mga gamit, itong mga traktor, itong mga processing, dryer at kung anu-ano pang mga kailangan ng ating mga magsasaka. Ito ay makabagong irigasyon at patuloy pa rin ang pagpapalawak ng irigasyon. Ang mga ito ay susi sa pagpapa-unlad ng ating mga sakahan,” President Marcos said.
The program is in line with Republic Act 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act which aims to protect the rights and improve the lives of farmers in the country.
The law, which President Marcos seeks to further strengthen, likewise aims to free ARBs from their debts.
President Marcos has vowed to continue working towards solving the issues faced by farmers in the country as he commended the dedication of the work of those in the agriculture sector.
“Kayo pong ating mga magsasaka ang haligi ng sektor ng agrikultura. Kung hindi dahil sa inyong sipag at dedikasyon sa inyong trabaho, hindi po magkakaroon ng sapat at masustansyang pagkain ang mga kababayan natin,” President Marcos said in his speech in Saranggani.
Now approaching the middle point of his term, President Marcos aims to complete the distribution of land to all ARBs before 2028.“Sa Bagong Pilipinas po ang pangarap natin—na sama-sama nating aabutin—ang magkaroon ng mas magandang kinabukasan, matatag na agrikultura, at mas maunlad na ekonomiya,” President Marcos said.
“Ang hiling po namin sa inyo ay samahan ninyo kami patungo sa pagbuo ng mga pangarap na ito, bigyan natin ng kahalagahan ang biyayang ating natatanggap, at palakasin pa natin ang ating kabuhayan,” he added. (end)
