THE Department of Agrarian Reform vowed Wednesday to end the disputes within the ranks of the farmers at the Hacienda Luisita Inc. in Tarlac, and install at least 42 certificates of land ownership to award holders from Barangay Lourdes in a 28-hectare farm lot in Barangay Austria not later than April 23.
Undersecretary for Field Operations Marcos Risonar, Hacienda Luisita task force chairman, said the days leading to the deadline would be considered as the transition time for its implementation.
According to provincial agrarian reform program officer Ileona Pangilinan, each would receive 6,600 square meters.
Secretary Rafael Mariano said Tuesday’s dialogue with the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala) was a “productive one.”
He said the Hacienda Luisita farmers would now reap the fruits of their fight as he ordered DARofficials to uphold the 2012 Supreme Court ruling.
The decades-old agrarian struggle in the Tarlac estate also took a leap forward as residents of Barangay Mapalacsiao and Barangay Lourdes forged an alliance to end all disputes between local farmers’ groups and strengthen the fight against the landlord-oligarchs Cojuangcos, DAR said.
“Now, more than ever, we need the peasant movement to be a united front in our fight for genuine agrarian reform. Let us remember who the real enemies are. Let us unite against landlord-oligarchs,” Mariano said.
Following the directive of Mariano, long-time tillers and members of Ambala decided to give way to CLOA holders who became agrarian reform beneficiaries through the “tambiolo” system or lottery scheme.
Those farmers will now be installed to their landholdings where their cultivation areas stand.
“Considering that there is no more factual obstacle in the installation of the 42 CLOA holders within the former Hacienda Luisita land, the provincial agrarian reform office of the province is hereby directed to install the 42 CLOA holders to their designated land allocations as stated in the existing subdivision plan,” Risonar’s order read.
Farmers groups have been in dispute over the ownership of the parcels of land in the past years.
Under the “tambiolo” scheme, about 3,000 square meters of agricultural land that have been occupied and cultivated by Ambala farmers were allotted by then agrarian reform secretary Virgilio delos Reyes to beneficiaries.
Because of such, some Ambala farmers from Barangay Mapalacsiao were displaced as supposed goons of the Cojuangco clan attacked and destroyed their crops and properties.