About 250 members of Task Force Mapalad-Negros greeted President Benigno Aquino III with a “Kalabasa (Squash) Award” on his 52nd birthday yesterday at the Department of Agrarian Reform office in Bacolod City.

TFM-Negros on the third day of its Lakabayan that started Monday, called on the government to fast-track land distribution under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program extension with reforms before it ends in 2014.

Farmer Jose Rodito Angeles said the performance of Aquino in terms of land distribution is very disappointing compared to the past presidents, claiming that he only achieved 43 percent accomplishment in land distribution nationwide for 2011.

He said the issuance of Certificates of Land Ownership Awards is also very slow and they have been pressured and compromised by the landowners, causing more delay in the entire process. Such action only shows that DAR local offices cannot handle and fully implement the agrarian reform program, he claimed.

They also called for genuine land distribution, food security, and regulation of prices of basic commodities because these will help them in their livelihood, he also said.

While the group picketed outside DAR office, farmers threw squash at the lobby. One of its glass windows broke and it almost hit its chief for agrarian reform administration and finance division, Evelyn Colimbo.

Colimbo said she was not harmed but was just shocked and surprised by the incident.

DAR representative Gloria Cañonero said that is already damage to property of the government and they will take proper action on the incident.

She recalled that they had filed a case against the same group in the past when they caused trouble at their office but later they signed an agreement that DAR will hold the case if they will not commit violent actions again.

“We know that they have a lakbayan campaign and we saw them bringing squash but we did not expect that they would throw them at our office,” Cañonero said.

Meanwhile, she also said they are doing their best to fast-track the processes of land distribution, however there are technical things that cause the delay, and that there are other agencies involved in the process and not just DAR alone.

Cañonero also said they want to give these lands out immediately and provide support services to the farmers as well.*LTG

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