President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is continuing to make true his campaign promise -- to provide farmers their own lands -- as Cotabato farmers expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the President after they have finally been awarded their land they were utilizing for 20 years.

Nelson Oloy of Lower Maculan, Lake Sebu said if not for the President, they wouldn't have been awarded their land under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project.

Oloy, who has been farming for 20 years, received his land title from the President during the awarding event for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in Koronadal City on Friday.

"Mr. President, thank you very much for your program. If not for the SPLIT program we would not have received the title today," Oloy said.

On the other hand, Nolly Sumangil of Barangay Supit, Titay also waited for 20 years before the national government awarded him his land title, saying that he was grateful to President Marcos and Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III.

"I have been a farmer there for more than 20 years. I am very happy that we will finally receive the title that will be granted by dear President Bongbong Marcos and DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III," Sumangil said.

"I can't measure my joy because of the joy I feel now. Thank you very much," he added.

Meantime, provincial governors of North and South Cotabato also expressed gratitude to the Preisdent.

"We express our deepest gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and DAR Secretary Condrado M. Estrella III in the hope they delivered to the ARBs who have also been waiting a long time to get their farmland," said Cotabato Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza.

"This day is very special because apart from the fact that the beneficiary farmers received their titles, it also gave their families security for a better tomorrow," she added.

For his part, South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo stressed that farmers owning lands is a dream come true.

"Now that we have been given this opportunity, those dreams will come true -- the opportunity to have titles to our lands. This is perhaps the legacy of this generation and the generations to come, not only here in the province of South Cotabato, but in the entire Region 12," said Tamayo.

To recall, Marcos signed in July 2023 the New Agrarian Emancipation Act for the benefit of around 610,054 Filipino farmers tilling more than 1.7 million hectares of agrarian reform lands. The law makes the farmers debt-free from of agrarian arears worth P57.65 million.

Marcos said he was happy to personally distribute the land titles to ARBs. He said the government will always prioritize the welfare of farmers as envisioned under a “Bagong Pilipinas.”

“In Bagong Pilipinas, we will prioritize the welfare of the farmers and free them from the system that makes their situation difficult,” said Marcos, adding that the distributed land titles would help uplift farmers’ lives and eventually fulfill their dreams for their family and country.

“May this provide security in your livelihood as you promote the food security of the entire country,” the President added.