DARPO Legal Clinic in Ugnayan Sa Barangay

BRGY. VILLAREY, Piat, Cagayan (North)-The Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office of Cagayan-Batanes through its Legal Assistance Division conducted a legal assistance clinic on March 21, 2014 at barangay Villarey, Piat, Cagayan upon the invitation of 1Lt Dennis D. Villanueva of the Philippine Army based in Masin, Alcala, Cagayan.

The purpose of the forum is to properly address some issues and concerns pertaining to the agrarian reform program, land tenure status of agrarian reform beneficiaries, agricultural leasehold relationships, agricultural insurance benefits, and other concerns from the farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries in the area.

The activity is a combined effort of the members of the Philippine Army, the local government unit of Piat, Cagayan (LGU-Piat), the barangay officials of at least three adjoining barangays, the farmers’ sector and other stakeholders.

            The forum started with a lecture-symposium on selected topics about the laws on agrarian reform, rights, duties and benefits of agrarian reform beneficiaries (also referred to as land transfer beneficiaries) and regular tenants/farm workers (non-land transfer beneficiaries), the latter being considered as prospective agrarian reform beneficiaries.

The participants were also encouraged to present their individual concerns in the ensuing one-on-one legal clinic conducted by the DAR legal officers and attorneys who were present for that purpose. Around fifty farmer-beneficiaries were counseled with various agrarian reform related problems, such as, determination of the prescribed lease rentals on tenanted agricultural lands, cases involving succession/land transfer transactions where the original agrarian reform beneficiary is already deceased, also, land survey issues over landholdings covered by Operation Land Transfer and CARP.

Some agrarian reform beneficiaries’ concern as to their actual tenural status were also confirmed during the dialogue and strengthened their rights of ownership over the landholdings awarded to them.  Other matters requiring more detailed consideration were scheduled for a conference at either the DAR Municipal Office or at the DAR Provincial Office, specifically, matters relating to survey activities.

The Legal Clinic has become a regular activity of the DARPO Cagayan-Batanes wherein the PARO (Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer), Virgilio M. Acasili has committed support and resources to the Legal Assistance Division headed by its Chief, Atty Fatima Yadao to extend legal services  even to the remote barangays in the province, with the main objective of bringing the services of the government closer to the people pursuant to the government’s thrust on inclusive growth. 
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