MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday ordered the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to expedite the distribution of land to deserving beneficiaries. Marcos gave the instruction during the distribution of land titles to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Passi, Iloilo. ‘Para ituloy ang ating mga nagawa na dito sa (To continue what we have done here in) agrarian reform, I ask the DAR to complete the distribution of lands to their deserving owners while collaborating with all the agencies of government to support our beneficiaries in anything that they might need,’ he said. The President assured ARBs that the government will continue to provide them support. ‘In the same manner, ito nga ‘yung aking sinasabi ang pag-deliver ng mga fertilizer, ng mga makinarya, mga facilities, ay makakatulong upang makamtan natin ang ating hinahanap at ating pinapangarap na magandang kinabukasan para sa ating mga magsasaka, para sa ating mga sinasaka at para sa mga susunod na henerasyon (In the same manner
, this is what I’m saying — the delivery of fertilizers, machinery, facilities will help us achieve our dream of having a good future for our farmers, for our farms and for generations to come,’ he added. Marcos also led the turnover of PHP26.7 million worth of farm machinery and equipment, as well as tissue culture. Aside from these, PHP10.8 million worth of tractors, mobile rice mill, corn sheller and palay reaper and thresher were turned over by the President to at least 3,000 ARBs from Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo provinces. Tissue culture facilities with greenhouses amounting to PHP15.3 million were distributed to at least 7,000 ARBs in Capiz and Iloilo. Meanwhile, the Cash and Rice Distribution (CARD) program was also launched in Iloilo, where 3,000 indigent beneficiaries received a 25-kilogram sack of rice and PHP1,000 cash each to buy other food essentials. A joint program of the House of Representatives and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, CARD was conceived as a response to the
call of President Marcos to provide rice and financial assistance to the poor through the legislative districts. House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said they will always find ways to make rice available and affordable. ‘Hindi po kami titigil hangga’t hindi na-ibaba ang presyo ng bigas sa halagang abot-kaya ng ordinaryong mamamayan (We won’t stop until the price of rice is reduced to a level affordable to ordinary citizens),
Source: Philippines News Agency
