DAR to give lands

to aggie gradates

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol April 23 (PIA) – But did you know that if you are a graduate of a four year course in agriculture despite being landless, the government through the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will assist you in your desire to own and cultivate your own land?

DAR Secretary John Castriciones, in his recent visit to Bohol bared this in front of the members of the Mantacida Multi-purpose Cooperative, the same day he was to personally deliver four Certificates of Land Ownership Awards to Catigbian Farmers.

Citing DAR Administrative Order No. 3, series of 2020, or the awarding of agricultural lands to qualified graduates or four year degrees in Agriculture or related fields for their economic empowerment and growth of the nation, Sec. Castriciones said they will give the graduates not less than 3 hectares.

The secretary, who was also slated to award land titles to Agrarian reform Beneficiaries in San Vicente Trinidad, April 17, pointed out the problem of aging farmers in the Philippines and the lack of second generation farmers.

“Our farmers’ average age is 57, and not many young farmers are motivated to choose agriculture,” Castriciones relayed.

With the dwindling number of farmers, and with the young who have always associated farming with dirty hard work and poverty veering away from serious agriculture career, unless the country provides a working solution, then the country is facing a serious and deleterious effects that dampen on the country’s capability to ensure food security.

Picking on the Administrative Order which he personally signed, Sec. Castriciones said, “if you are a 4-year-course graduate in Agriculture and you want lands to cultivate, we will give you lands not less than three hectares.”

Beneficiaries of the program includes those who completed a four-year bachelor’s degree in agriculture as certified by the registrar of the institution, who are landless, willing, able and capable to cultivate and make the land productive, living in the town where the Dar acquired un-used government-owned lands and where land holding is located, and is certified no not a CARP applicant or an ARB.

Seeing this move as that which creates the spark to get young people’s desire to get back into farming especially with the right skills obtained from agricultural school, DAR believes they can contribute to fortifying and securing second generation techie farmers.

The infusion of fresh blood into the collapsing veins of the agricultural sector, also comes with their provision of credit windows, technical assistance and support extension services, Castriciones dared.

“At DAR, we do not just give lands, we also hand out trucks, tractors, we help settle agrarian disputes and offer assistance to link to credit and loan windows,” he said, even as he openly hailed farmers of Catigbian, Bohol for helping each other in growing together as ARBs in ARCs.

To give proof to that resolve to safeguard the country’s sustainability in food production, sec Castriciones came in with Undersecretaries Policy, Planning and Research Virginia Orogo and Atty Emily Padilla for support services, who also talked about the need to develop institutions for more sustainable services linkage to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries and Communities. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

ASSURING SECOND GENERATION FARMERS. DAR Secretary John Castriciones announced the government program under DAR which gives idle government lands acquired by the agency to agriculture graduates who desire to cultivate and contribute to food security, during his visit to Bohol. Castriciones also handed out over 100 hectares of farmlands to Bohol farmers in two separate occasions last week. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

ARMED WITH PROPER SKILL, AND ATTITUDE. Agriculture graduates have had extensive training and practice the available technologies to assure better food security, so the government is now investing in them to address the serious dwindling of farmers and the lack of fresh young blood to continue the task. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)