Titles to 134.6 hectares of agricultural land were distributed by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to 159 farmer-beneficiaries in northern Negros during the first and second week of April.

A report of the DAR Negros Occidental-North on Thursday showed the recipients were from the municipalities of Toboso and Murcia and Escalante City.

On April 13, some 47 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Toboso received certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) to a property covering 21.8 hectares.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Jasmin Castillo urged farmer-beneficiaries to make their land productive and achieve economic stability.

The landholding, formerly owned by Lydia Lizares, is situated in Barangay Bandila.

Also on April 13, a total of 22 ARBs were awarded four hectares in Escalante City, for the landholding previously owned by Gloria Poblador de la Paz situated in Barangay Tamlang.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Jasmin Castillo urged farmer-beneficiaries to make their land productive and achieve economic stability.

In Murcia, more than 108 hectares were awarded to 90 ARBs in a series of distributions held on April 6, 7, and 12.

The land titles covered the property formerly owned by Josefina Rodriguez Agricultural Corp. located in Barangay Abo-Abo.

The lands were distributed by the DAR through land acquisition and distribution under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program-CARP Extension with Reforms.

Through the agency, public and private agricultural landholdings are acquired by the government to be distributed to tenants, farmers, farmworkers, and/or other tillers who are qualified to become ARBs, in the form of CLOAs covering one contiguous tract or several parcels of land cumulated up to a maximum of three hectares per beneficiary. (PNA)