DAR holds legal
clinic in Ormoc
Nearly
300 tenants and agrarian reform beneficiaries availed of the
free legal clinic conducted by the Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR) on June 14 at the Ormoc Superdome. |
By JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA
June 21, 2022
ORMOC CITY –
“Nagpapasalamat kami na nagkaroon ng ganito dito sa Ormoc, na galing pa
talaga sa central office ang mga abogado para maliwanagan kami tungkol
sa kaso namin. (We are thankful for having this activity in Ormoc with
lawyers coming from the central office, to help us understand about our
case.) said Estrella Monsanto-Alejandre.
Nanay Estrella, 64, was among
the nearly 300 farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from
this city and adjacent towns who went to the Ormoc Superdome to avail of
the free legal clinic conducted by the Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR) on Tuesday.
She was with her brother
Julieto, 60, and neighbor, Melania Aldiano, 74, who went to the venue as
early as seven o’clock in the morning to be the first in line. The three
are from Barangay Licuma, more than 10 kilometers away from the city
proper.
Nanay Estrella said they
wanted to consult and be enlightened about their Emancipation Patents
(EPs) and Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) that were
cancelled after more than a decade since the land titles were awarded to
them.
After they were entertained,
Nanay Estrella shared, “Binigyan kami ng Assurance. Pag-aaralan daw nila
ang kaso namin.” (We were given assurance. They will study our case.)
Like Nanay Estrella, Tatay
Julieto and Nany Melania, many of those who availed of the legal
services for agrarian-related issues, went home satisfied and with
revived hopes.
Felisa Lambot from Barangay
Curva commented “Nakuntento ako. Si Atty. Ryan ang nakausap ko.” (I was
contented. I talked to Atty. Ryan.)
Provincial Agrarian Reform
Program Officer II (PARPO II) Josefina Corazon Turla disclosed that the
activity was the fulfillment of DAR Undersecretary Elmer Distor’s
promise to the farmers who presented various issues during the dialogue
he attended in this city last month.
Aside from the central office
team, lawyers Christopher Ryan Rosal and Daniel Pen, Legal Division
chiefs of the regional and provincial offices, respectively, together
with their legal officers joined in addressing the legal problems of the
farmers.
All four Municipal Agrarian
Reform Program Officers (MARPOs) of this city, Artheiriza Manalo, Aouda
Colibao, Marissa Estolano and Ruben Rebato, were likewise present.
The conduct of the legal
clinic is among the activities lined up in the month-long celebration as
the agency commemorates the 34th year of implementation of the Republic
Act No. 6657 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law
(CARL) which covered all agricultural lands under the agrarian reform
program regardless of tenurial arrangements, and the 50th year of
Presidential Decree No. 27, emancipating the tenants from the bondage of
the soil.
This year’s twin-celebration
theme is “Tuloy and pag-asa at pag-unlad hatid ng repormang agraryo.”