President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. told Filipino farmers on Friday to collaborate with government agencies in order to use their land effectively and contribute to the nation’s food security.

The Chief Executive made the remarks during the distribution of 5,918.44 hectares of land to farmer beneficiaries from South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat.

He also oversaw the distribution of land titles to 4,456 agrarian reform beneficiaries in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte.

Highlighting the importance of distributing the land to the agrarian reform beneficiaries, Marcos emphasized its potential to provide affordable and high-quality food for all Filipinos.

“I encourage you to collaborate with government agencies to properly use these lands and help increase the supply of affordable and high-quality food for our fellow Filipinos,” Marcos said in Koronadal City.

“Above all, may this serve as an inspiration for your children and their children to continue and further develop the profession of farming. The future of our nation depends on them,” he added.

The President said the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which forgives all unpaid amortizations, including the principal debt, interest, and surcharges of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) for lands awarded to them under various agrarian reform laws, has relieved the farmers of their debts.

In his speech in Zamboanga, Marcos reiterated his hope the agrarian land reform program would encourage the farmers’ children to carry on their parents’ agricultural work.

“May this inspire your children and the future generations to continue the honorable profession of farming, as they are the hope of the next generation,” Marcos said.

“Through our agrarian reform program, let us end the poverty of our farmers, protect them from the threat of hunger, liberate them from debt, and overcome poverty,” he stressed.

The President reiterated his directive to the Department of Agrarian Reform to speed up the distribution of land to farmer beneficiaries.

He said the DAR should distribute the more than one million land titles remaining to the farmer-beneficiaries before the end of his term.