By William Agda
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has distributed 320,993 hectares of agricultural land to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in Northern Mindanao this year, achieving 97.28 percent of its annual target.
In a media briefing on Wednesday, DAR Region 10 Director Zoraida Macadindang explained that the distribution is part of the agency’s Land Tenure Security Program (LTSP) and Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD) initiatives. The target for the region in 2024 is 329,975 hectares.
“Our ARBs are farmers, even younger ones—their children—who must cultivate the land as a key requirement to qualify for land titles,” Macadindang said.
The agency also reported a cumulative ARB population of 239,446 in the region as of November 2024. Among them, 199,846 have already benefitted from at least three interventions under DAR’s programs, which include support services to enhance productivity and economic opportunities for ARBs.