Ninety-nine agrarian reform beneficiaries of two lots in Brgy. Jonob-Jonob finally received their Certificates of Land Ownership Award at the distribution led by the Department of Agrarian Reform-Negros Occidental at the Escalante City Elementary School Gymnasium yesterday.

Of the number, 56 belonged to the Panaghi-usa sa mga Obreros sg Brgy. Janob-Janob, 18 to the Hacienda Bonco Farmers Association and the rest are members of Don Esteban Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries.

The ARBs will also automatically become the owners of the crops planted in them, Enrique Paderes, Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer II for Northern Negros said.

The land was placed under Compulsory Acquisition scheme but the owner Gerardo Bonco later shifted to voluntary offer to sell.

However, during the process of land acquisition, the Panaghi-usa sa mga Obreros sg Brgy. Janob-Janob, an affiliate of the National Federation of Sugar Workers, illegally occupied the area, Paderes said

Paderes added that a case filed against them was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction on the part of the Provincial Agrarian Reform Adjudicator, while the landowner and the lessee failed to file a case with the regular courts. This made it difficult for DAR to possess the property and distribute it to the legitimate ARBs.

He said there was tension among the three groups but with the constant negotiations spearheaded by the army and the DAR, the tension subsided, especially because most of their members are relatives.

After the distribution of the CLOAs, the DAR will proceed with the delineation of lots to the rightful owners and is optimistic that the groups will unite.

William Ortega, member of HABFA, said they are yet to receive an additional 19 hectares from DAR, although Bonco had allowed them to till it while waiting for the release of the CLOAs.

However, he said, they failed to do so because they were harassed by members of NFSW, who, he claimed, had burned their huts.

Felixberto Bucaling, chairman of DEARBA said they used to be under NFSW, but they chose to separate from it and join Task Force Mapalad when NFSW illegally occupied the land.

Evelyn Saguerre, member if the Paghili-usa sg Obrero sa Brgy. Jabon-Janob and National Federation of Sugar Workers, said they have been processing their CLOAs since 2003 while the two other organizations applied as ARB in 2010 yet.

Saguerre said they have filed a petition for exclusion to erase the names of the members of the two other groups from the list of ARBs but it was junked by DAR.

Escalante City Police chief, Supt. Jefferson Descallar said they will assign policemen and army personnel in the area to maintain peace and order.

Records from DAR-Negros Occidental showed that they still have to distribute 125,000 hectares to ARBs before the end of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in 2014.*APN

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