TARLAC CITY — A total of 171 Hacienda Luisita farmworker beneficiaries received Thursday their Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) from Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
“The process of distributing lands to the landless farmers is just the first step towards attaining real change in the lives of the beneficiaries,” DAR Secretary John Castriciones said.
The ceremony is part of DAR’s undertaking in completing the distribution of all agricultural lands under Republic Act 9700 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms Law.
“Binding together to build strong, vibrant, and self-reliant organizations with the assistance of DAR and introducing more innovative ways of increasing the farmers’ income by empowering every member of the household through various off-farm and non-farm projects will spell-out the big difference,” Castriciones stressed.