ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, April 2, led the distribution of certificate of land ownership awards (CLOAs) to farmers in Sultan Kudarat assuring them of government’s continued support and assistance.
In his speech, President Duterte congratulated the farmers saying that they “rightfully deserve” the lands “as hardworking Filipinos.”
“I stand before you to say only one thing: Today is a victorious day for you, our farmers,” he said.
“I laud the efforts of the Department of Agrarian Reform for being instrumental in upholding the rights of our farmers to own, control, secure, cultivate and enhance their agricultural lands as well as to improve their quality of life,” he added.
The President encouraged the farmers to continue their duties of tilling the fields and bringing food on the table of every Filipino.
“The Philippines is nothing without our farmers who regularly provide our people with sustenance and ensure food security despite difficulties such as disasters, price fluctuations and financial shortages,” he said.
Duterte then vowed to implement genuine land reform “through strong and decisive governance.”
He called on the Department of Agriculture and other concerned agencies to continue their efforts to increase farm productivity, reduce farm expenses and promote the well-being of farmers, consumers and the general public through various programs.
“I assure you that the government stands [by] you every step of the way. We continue to provide support services [from] other agencies through livelihood programs such as crop insurance, production and postharvest trainings and credit access,” he stressed.
Duterte underscored that the programs and services provided for the farmers are the building blocks to achieve a comfortable and dignified life for everyone.
He urged the farmers to demonstrate solidarity in the shared task of building a stronger and more robust society.
The President handed over CLOAs to 1,680 agrarian reform beneficiaries involving 4,266.2882 hectares of land. Among the recipients were 1,396 Muslim/Maguindanaoan, 227 Manobo/indigenous peoples and 23 non-Muslims getting an average farm size of 2.55 hectares each.
(PND release)