Luisita farm lots awarding almost done

Sugarcane farmer. ShutterStock image

MANILA — For the 5,990 beneficiaries who were already awarded with their share on the Hacienda Luisita farm, the long wait is over.

The Department of Agrarian Reform said in a Philippine Daily Inquirer report that it has completed the awarding of lots to 96.43 percent of the total Hacienda Luisita beneficiaries.

Only a total of 222 farmers have yet to be given their farm lots under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program based on a court ruling.

Under the 1988 Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, Hacienda Luisita owners were given the option to own shares of stock instead of land.

In 2012, the Supreme Court upheld with finality the 2005 Presidential Agrarian Reform Council’s decision to vanish the stock distribution option and ordered the distribution of a total of 4,915 hectares to 6,296 farm workers.

After a long process of verification however, only 6,212 approved beneficiaries were included in the master list.

In 1988, when the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, took effect, the owners of Hacienda Luisita gave the farmers an option to own shares of stock instead of land.

Meanwhile, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Ileona Pangilinan said in a press release that it is possible to finish the installation to the remaining 222 farmers before this month ends.

“[If] there are no outside forces to hinder our activities, we will be finished before June. Almost all of the CARP-awarded lots were already placed with boundary markers or mujons,” Pangilinan said.

With reports from DJ Yap, Philippine Daily Inquirer