As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. handed out certificates of land ownership awards and e-titles to grateful beneficiaries in Davao City, the hearts of some 50,000 residents in five barangays in Nasugbu, Batangas sank with the fear that the Department of Agrarian Reform might soon snatch away their hard-won CLOAs in favor of an affluent company.

In his speech in Davao City, the Chief Executive said he wants to double the 90,000 titles distributed last year as he aims to complete the land distribution under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, or CARP, before the end of his term.

"I am hopeful the number will increase or even double in 2024. The distribution of more than 2,000 titles here in Davao today is a good start, and just a start, for 2024," Marcos said.

"It is my goal to complete the distribution of all land covered by CARP before the end of my term, so I am pleased that the Department of Agrarian Reform is diligent in issuing land titles," Marcos added.

Batangas tillers fear displacement

Meanwhile, the farmers in Batangas who are agrarian reform beneficiaries, or ARBs, fear the loss of their land following the release of an order dividing three haciendas that would displace them and throw them to an inhabited mountainous resettlement area in Nasugbu.

About 500 residents of Barangay Aga, Nasugbu who are on the brink of displacement from their lands, on Saturday begged President Marcos to overturn DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella’s consolidated order for them to vacate Hacienda Caylaway consisting of barangays Bilaran, Cogunan, Catandaan, Keparo, and Aga.

Hacienda Caylaway was redistributed to publicly listed Roxas and Co. Inc. as part of the DAR order of an equitable sharing arrangement with the ARBs.

“This is a blight on our lives, not only now but for the succeeding generations. We shall come together and help one another so that we don’t lose the land where we were born and inherited from our ancestors,” said an ARB in Filipino during a meeting in Barangay Aga.

“As a citizen of Barangay Aga who was born here, beloved President, we are asking for your help to get back our land. We have been fighting for over 40 years. Why are they doing this to us? They made us hope, but in the end that hope was gone,” a senior citizen said in Filipino during the meeting held last 3 February.

The residents appealed to the President as they said Nasugbu Mayor Antonio Jose Barcelon had given up the fight, telling his constituents to accede to the DAR order.

On Tuesday, some ARBs proceeded to the Senate to seek lawmakers' help.

CLOAs of residents invalid

Also on Wednesday, DAR Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Napoleon Galit said the Supreme Court, under G.K. No. 127876 dated 17 December 1999, had decided in favor of the landowner and ruled that the Notice of Coverage issued by DAR was illegal.

“The decision subsequently rendered the CLOA issued by the DAR to the farmer groups invalid,” he said, adding that the consolidated order signed by Secretary Estrella on 29 December 2023 was a win for the farmers.

DAR said the 29 December order was deemed final and executory on 30 January 2024 after the period for the filing of a motion for reconsideration or appeal against the consolidated order expired.

But the legal counsel of the Nasugbu ARBs, lawyer Mario Cerro, said the MR they filed was valid as it met the 15-day requirement to file an appeal.