NEW LANDOWNERS. The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) distributes certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) covering 26 hectares of agricultural lands to 25 agrarian reform beneficiaries in Zambales on Monday (June 20, 2022). Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Emmanuel G. Aguinaldo said on Wednesday the beneficiaries are from the towns of Castillejos, Botolan, Subic, and Palauig. (Photo courtesy of DAR-Zambales) CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga - The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has distributed certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) covering 26 hectares of agricultural lands to farmer-beneficiaries in Zambales. Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Emmanuel G. Aguinaldo said on Wednesday that at least 25 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from the towns of Castillejos, Botolan, Subic, and Palauig received their CLOAs on Monday. He said the distribution ended the decade-long wait of the rightful beneficiaries to finally own the land they have been tilling. "The (CLOA) is proof that they are now the owners of the land given by the government through DAR," Aguinaldo said in a radio interview. He advised the beneficiaries to cultivate the land and make it productive. Aside from the distribution of CLOAs, the DAR also distributed vegetable seeds to farmer associations from the towns of Botolan, San Felipe, Iba, and San Narciso. The move is under the Sustainable Livelihood Development for Disaster Affected Areas of the DAR's Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD). Aguinaldo said their agency is not only focused on the distribution of lands but also on giving support services to the farmers. "The DAR will continue to provide support services interventions to make their lands more productive to generate more income for their families," he said. (PNA) }