Tarlac ARBs benefit from condonation certificates

Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III on Sunday reported that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is set to give 4,663 Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROM) to 3,500 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Tarlac province at the Eduardo Cojuangco Gymnasium, Paniqui, Tarlac.

Estrella said that the distribution is set on 30 September 2024, adding that the event is the full realization of Republic Act 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act where a total debt amounting to P124 million would be condoned.

It will be for the 3,500 ARBs who are set to receive the 4,663 COCROMs which cover 4,132.1256 hectares of agricultural land following the provisions of RA 11953.

“The distribution of these certificates is not just about relieving debt that they have carried for years, but also empowering farmers to fully maximize their land’s productivity and improving their lives as Filipino farmers,” Estrella said.

Meantime, DAR Central Luzon regional director James Arsenio Ponce revealed that this scheduled distribution of COCROMs in Tarlac marks the third time such an initiative has been undertaken in the Central Luzon region, with previous distributions in the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Bulacan.