220 Cebu farmers: P500,000 unpaid amortizations canceled by DAR

DEBT RELIEF. The beneficiaries of the Department of Agrarian Reform’s debt condonation program in Cebu province in this undated photo. They were freed from land debt under Republic Act 11953, also known as the New Agrarian Emancipation Act which was signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on July 7, 2023. (Photo courtesy of DAR VIA PNA)

MANILA – A total of 220 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Cebu province were relieved from paying some P502,468 in unpaid amortizations under the condonation program of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

In a news release on Thursday, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the condonation covered a total of 170.382 hectares of agricultural land across the municipalities of Pinamungajan, with 157 ARBs; Toledo City, with 52 ARBs; and Aloguinsan, with 11 ARBs.

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“This is not just about land, it’s about giving our farmers a better life,” he said.

Estrella stressed the importance of empowering farmers by freeing them from decades of debt.

Farmer Bienvenido Tango-an of Pinamungajan was among those who celebrated the milestone. “Malipay gyud ko. Sa wakas, dili na mi mobayad sa Land Bank (I’m truly happy. Finally, we don’t have to pay to the Land Bank of the Philippines anymore),” he said.

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The debt relief is part of the implementation of Republic Act 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which was signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on July 7, 2023.

The law aims to condone over P57 billion in unpaid amortizations, benefitting more than 600,000 ARBs across the country.

DAR said with their debts canceled, these Cebu farmers are now better positioned to invest in their livelihoods, improve farm productivity, and support their families’ future. (PNA)