Duterte distributes CLOA to Maguindanao farmers

BULUAN,
Maguindanao -– A total of 1,740 hectares
of lands were distributed by President Duterte on Monday to 780 Agrarian Reform
Beneficiaries (ARBs) in ceremonies held at Buluan municipal gymnasium.

The
distribution of Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) was historic since
it was done during the 2nd Inaul Festival, a colorful and vibrant
festival from Februaury 8 to 14. Inaul refers to a hand woven cloth and it
means literally weaved.

Wilson Balenia
who represented Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB) from Maguindanao fist
district was one of the two who received CLOA from Pres. Duterte during
ceremonial turn over program. The other was Abdulbassit Maliga of ARB Maguindanao
second district.

They
represented a total of 780 ARBs in receiving 834 CLOAs from the President.

A total of
1,740.34 hectares of land were distributed to the recipients who were farmers
from the towns of Ampatuan, Buluan, Datu
Abdullah Sangki, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Datu Odin Sisnuat, Datu Paglas, Datu
Saudi Ampatuan, Guindulungan, Kabuntalan, Mamasapano, Mangudadatu, Raja Buayan,
Sultan Kudarat, Sultan sa Barongis, Talayan, Talitay and Upi.

Regional
Secretary Carlsum Sangkula-Jumaide of the Department of Agrarian Reform in the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAR-ARMM), said for the past 20 years
since DAR was devolved to ARMM, a total of 224,708 hectares of lands have been
distributed to 67,801 farmer-beneficiaries through the Comprehensive Agrarian
Reform Program (CARP).

Of this number
of hectares of lands that were distributed, 16 percent or about 40,800 were in
Maguindanao.

We are happy
we now have a land we can call our own, Balenia said in his speech after
receiving his CLOA.

Balenia said
the CLOAs that he and other farmers have received will become the symbol of
love, peace and prosperity in their respective communities. (Edwin O.
Fernandez)