Bukidnon Farmers Demand Faster Land Award Process
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Farmers and their advocates in Bukidnon have called on the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to fast-track the land award process. They want to finally own the farms they have cultivated for decades in Don Carlos town.
“Our hope is for the DAR, which is mandated to process our claims for land awards, to train its focus on the matter. With the passing of time, we no longer expect that we can claim the land as our own in our lifetime but we are pushing for this now for the sake of our children,” said Jovencio Destor, president of the Don Carlos Bukidnon United Farmers Association, Inc. (DCBUFAI), in the vernacular.
Destor revealed that the farmers have already waited 33 years for the land award process to be completed.
Long-Standing Land Ownership Hopes Face Delays
Many current claimants inherited their land claims from parents who began the process in 1987 but passed away without receiving their certificates of land ownership award (CLOA). The 109 members of DCBUFAI claim a 109-hectare portion of former Bukidnon Farms Inc. (BFI) land. BFI was once owned by Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. but was taken over by the government in 1986.
After the government takeover, the land was distributed to former BFI workers, including members of the farmers’ association.
Efforts to Expedite Land Award Continue
Ian Rivera, national coordinator of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), which supports DCBUFAI, described the farmers’ struggle as long and difficult. The revalidation of agrarian reform beneficiaries took place in 2011. By November 2012, a national dialogue was held at DAR’s central office, where an agreement was reached to complete the revalidation by February 2013.
On August 14, 2024, DCBUFAI, along with PMCJ, Sanlakas, and Makabayan Pilipinas, met with DAR officials to push for the prompt release of their CLOAs. Another dialogue is scheduled on July 3 at the DAR regional office to continue discussions.
Bureaucratic Delays Deepen Farmers’ Hardship
Rivera lamented, “The farmers have their hands tied to this bureaucracy. They have no choice but to agree to this lengthy and long-overdue process, despite the lack of clear timelines and action. This grave injustice, brought about by the delay in releasing the farmers’ CLOA, continues to exacerbate the farmers’ already dire conditions during this time of economic and climate crisis.”
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