Dulcesima Corda wiped away tears of joy as she received the document that had eluded her family until now. “[It's a] dream that Felipe and I worked so hard for. I wish he was here to witness this momentous event,” she said, referring to her late husband.

DAR reported Thursday that it awarded 22 Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to nine agrarian reform beneficiaries, covering nearly 10 hectares of agricultural land. The milestone comes decades after the enactment of Republic Act No. 6657, or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, in 1988.

Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III praised DAR field officers for their persistence in addressing the estate's legal and technical issues.

“This is a clear testament of the patience and dedication of our field officers and personnel in upholding social justice for our farmer-beneficiaries,” Estrella said.

According to Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Mohammad Abdul Jabbar M. Pandapatan, discrepancies between titled areas and actual land measurements were among the key factors behind the delay, requiring extensive review and revalidation.

“After 34 long years of dreaming and tirelessly working for your land, we are proud to turn those dreams into reality,” Pandapatan told the new landowners. “Take care of this land for it carries the promise of prosperity, growth, and the fulfillment of your dreams.”

PARPO I Danilo M. Pilar, who also heads the DAR-Misamis Occidental Land Tenure Security Program, added that the distribution fulfills “a long-standing promise of justice and equality.”

Santiago Tumangob, 83, one of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude: “At last, the land title is finally in my name. It’s truly a dream come true.”

In a separate ceremony, the DAR also awarded 38 electronic titles under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling Project. Covering 32.48 hectares, the titles were distributed to 31 ARBs from the municipalities of Calamba, Sapang Dalaga, and Baliangao.

The awarding ceremonies were witnessed by local officials, including Baliangao Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Officer Richvey M. Andus, representing Mayor Haneya Theresa L. Yap-Chiong, and Sangguniang Bayan member Virgie L. Lomoljo, alongside DAR provincial personnel.