Twenty-four Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in North Cotabato have officially been freed from their agrarian debts after receiving Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (CoCRoM) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) on Friday.

According to Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Evangeline Bueno, the recipients are ARBs from Barangay Saguing, Makilala town, under the JOCAR Industrial Corporation landholding.

The certificates were formally distributed during a simple ceremony in the village, with Bueno assisted by Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officers Lisette Caasi and Julie Garcia.

The distribution is part of the implementation of Republic Act 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on July 7, 2023. The law mandates the condonation of unpaid land amortizations, including interests, penalties, and surcharges, incurred by ARBs under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

“With their debts lifted, our ARBs can now focus on cultivating their lands, improving their productivity, and uplifting their quality of life without the burden of loan repayments,” Bueno said.

DAR officials and beneficiaries welcomed the law, describing it as a significant step in empowering farmers and promoting inclusive rural development across agrarian reform communities. (PNA)