Gov’t raffles 6,600 sqm Luisita land per farmer



HACIENDA LUISITA, Tarlac City—Each time the tambiolo was opened, a hush fell over the audience.

Years of legal battles, protests and even bloodshed for a parcel of land led to the single tambiolo (wooden raffle drum) set up on Thursday in the middle of a covered court in Barangay (village) Cutcut in this sugar estate.

The audience was composed of the families of farmworkers who were being given a share of the sugarcane plantation which they, their parents and grandparents had tended on behalf of the family of President Aquino.

The tambiolo contained white envelopes with the names of families who are beneficiaries of the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), led by Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes, started raffling off the farmers’ future landholdings.

When a voice on a microphone called out Lot No. 1207, a DAR official pulled out an envelope that named Lucina Aquino as its new owner.

Applause

There was applause all around as Aquino, a 68-year-old widow, aided by her son, walked to a table nearby for the processing of papers for the land.

The DAR set up computers dedicated to the lot verification process and printed out the Lot Allocation Certificates (LAC), which were immediately awarded to the beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries were then required to swear before a DAR lawyer signifying that they agree to a payment scheme for their property.

Barangay Cutcut is one of 10 villages in the hacienda.

About 645 qualified beneficiaries live in this community and each beneficiary is entitled to 6,600 square meters.

Aquino received two lots, one in her name and another in the name of her late husband who had worked in the hacienda.

The DAR is dividing 4,099.91 hectares of Hacienda Luisita among 6,212 beneficiaries.

Not Sona-related

De los Reyes said the distribution of lot allocation certificates (LACs) after years of legal battles was not timed for President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday.

The lot allocations were long overdue, he said, noting that he was not even aware that the President would mention the agrarian reform process in Hacienda Luisita.

Options

While the beneficiaries could not choose the location of their land, they were given options. They could receive their lot allocations individually or as blocks of land when the beneficiaries are family members who want to stay and work together.

Source: Gov?t raffles 6,600 sqm Luisita land per farmer | Inquirer News