Marcos says around 30,000 CLOAs, e-titles distributed to ARBs since January

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Friday said around 30,000 Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) and electronic titles (e-titles) have been distributed to agrarian reform beneficiaries since January of this year. 

Marcos made the remark during the distribution of land titles and support services to beneficiaries in Pili, Camarines Sur. 

''Sa kabuuan po, nakapagbigay na po tayo ng halos tatlumpung libong Certificates of Land Ownership Award, ang CLOA, at 'yung iba naman ay E-Title, electronic [titles] [sa] halos tatlumpung libong agrarian reform beneficiaries sa buong bansa mula Enero hanggang Mayo ng taong ito,'' Marcos said in his speech. 

(In total, we have distributed around 30,000 CLOAs and e-titles to at least 30,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries across the country beginning January to May of this year.) 

''Mayroon pa pong tatlumpu’t anim na libong [CLOAs] at [e-titles] na ipapamigay natin sa lagpas na tatlumpung libong agrarian reform beneficiaries bago matapos ang taon na ito,'' he added. 

(We still have 36,000 CLOAs and e-titles that are yet to be distributed to more than 30,000 ARBs before the year ends.) 

In Bicol region, Marcos handed over around 2,115 CLOAs covering 3,328.0973 hectares of land and benefitting 1,965 agrarian reform beneficiaries across the provinces of Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Masbate, Albay, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur.

Last month, the President renewed his commitment to finish the distribution of land titles to agrarian reform beneficiaries under his term.

In July 2023, Marcos signed the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which will condone the amortization of principal payments, interest and penalties on land tilled by farmers.

Republic Act No.11953 seeks to benefit 610,054 agrarian reform beneficiaries as it writes off P57.557 billion of their loans.

Aside from land titles, Marcos led the distribution of assistance to the beneficiaries and communities affected by the El Niño phenomenon. 

The Department of Agriculture provided agricultural aid, including hybrid rice seeds, fertilizer vouchers, cassava granulators, pumping sets, yellow corn seeds, inorganic fertilizers and Gulayan sa Barangay packages worth P649,250.

For its part, the Philippine Rice Research Institute distributed 30 bags of certified inbred rice seeds while the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization donated three four-wheel drive tractors. 

In a separate speech, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the President's real enemy is poverty and not those individuals who have been criticizing him. 

Estrella did not elaborate who were those personalities criticizing Marcos. 

''Kaya hindi ho pumapatol ang mahal na Pangulo sa kanila ay hindi sila tinuturing na kaaway ng ating mahal na Pangulo. Alam ninyo ho ba ang talagang tinuturing na kaaway ng ating Pangulo, ang tinuturing ho na tunay na kaaway ng ating Pangulo ay walang iba kung hindi ang kahirapan ng kanyang mamamayan,'' Estrella said. 

(Our President do not treat them as enemies. The real enemy that he considers is the poverty that is being faced by Filipino citizens.)—AOL, GMA Integrated News