About 2,487 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the province of Pampanga are set to receive their Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROMs) on Thursday, November 21.
A total of 2,939 COCROMs will be distributed to the ARBs, covering 3,903.48 hectares of agricultural land.
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) OIC-Regional Director Odgie Cayabyab disclosed that amortizations amounting to P206 million were condoned by the government.
Prior to this, the agency distributed COCROMs to 1,000 ARBs in Bulacan; 6,000 ARBs in Nueva Ecija; and 3,500 ARBs in Tarlac.
Republic Act 11953, otherwise known as the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, was signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on July 7, 2023.
It condones P57.56 billion worth of debt including interests, penalties, and surcharges owed by 610,054 ARBs who are cultivating a total of 1.173 million hectares of land.
The law endeavors to provide farmers with ownership of the lands they till paving the way for a brighter future.
In the implementation of RA 11953, DAR will issue COCROMs, which will be annotated on the Emancipation Patents or Certificates of Land Ownership Award.
The appropriate Registry of Deeds will register these, or any other title under the applicable agrarian reform law, along with the annotation of the COCROMs once it takes effect. (CLJD/JLDC, PIA Region 3-Pampanga)