A centenarian farmer who has tilled land for almost five decades and a person with disability (PWD) whose both legs had been amputated were among the over 3,000 beneficiaries in Negros Oriental who received their land titles from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday.

Marcos led the ceremonial distribution of land titles to 3,800 agrarian reform beneficiaries in this provincial capital, alongside Secretary Conrad Estrella of the Department of Agrarian Reform and local government officials from Negros Oriental and Siquijor.

The 102-year-old Semion Academia, from Barangay Tamisu in Bais City, Negros Oriental, said he was overjoyed when he received the title of the land that he tilled for more than 42 years.

“Thank you, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., for giving us the land that we can call our own after having cultivated this for a very long time,” Academia said in Cebuano.

Academia said he would give the land to his children and grandchildren so they could have a better life.

The President breezed into this Negros Oriental capital to distribute certificates of land ownership award (CLOA) and support services to some 3,800 ARBs in Central Visayas.

Similar activities were also held in the other provinces and were aired live during the ceremony here.

The President also led the turnover of farm machinery and equipment worth PHP17.5 million to nine agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in the region.

The province of Negros Oriental received seven tractors and one dehydrator which the Chief Executive turned over to Governor Manuel Sagarbarria and other local officials.

In his message, Marcos said he was hopeful that with the land titles formally handed to them, these farmers could start a new life.

“We know that many of you have dreamed of owning land and this is now a dream come true,” he said in Filipino.

In Negros Oriental, a total of 1,727 ARBs were identified from 22 towns and cities to receive their land titles, said DAR provincial agrarian reform officer Manuel Galon.

Many of the ARBs were already previously “land owners” under a collective CLOA which made it difficult for them to determine the boundaries, as well as the amount of taxes they had to pay each year.

Vicente Alao-alao Jr., 73, from Mabinay town, said he has cultivated his land of one hectare since 1975 and is happy that it now belongs to them.

“This has been the source of our family income since the land was given to us during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. through a VOS (voluntary offer to sell),” he said in the dialect.

“We are thankful that under the current Marcos administration, we no longer have to pay for the land,” Alao-alao added.

He believed that he or his family could still qualify for additional land under the government’s agrarian reform program, after learning that an ARB can get as much as three hectares.

Alao-alao said he had two previous amputations on his right leg while he was already working as a farmer.

The CLOA distribution is under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling Project (Project SPLIT).

Meanwhile, seven farm-to-market roads worth PHP100 million were constructed and funded by the Agrarian Reform Fund and are located in Amlan, Dauin, Ayungon, Tanjay, Bais City, Tayasan and Bindoy in Negros Oriental. (PNA)