More than 900 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in Nueva Ecija received renewed hope and freedom from debt as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) granted P24.6 million in debt relief through the issuance of Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (CoCROM).

The ceremonial distribution was held on 10 October 2025, at the Talavera National High School Gym in Barangay Pag-Asa, Talavera.

Leading the event was DAR Undersecretary for Field Operations Kazel C. Celeste, who emphasized that the government’s condonation program is a crucial step toward freeing farmers from decades of financial burden and helping them achieve genuine land ownership.

“The condonation of their debts marks a new chapter in the lives of our farmers. At last, they can truly call the lands they till their own,” Celeste said.

A total of 1,056 CoCROMs covering 1,420.7059 hectares were awarded to 903 ARBs, writing off P24,654,724.42 in unpaid amortizations and accumulated interest under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

As of 30 September 2025, DAR-Nueva Ecija has recorded P297.17 million in condoned loans benefiting 6,567 ARBs, involving 10,540 CoCROMs covering 11,312.7550 hectares. The province’s overall target covers 10,640 ARBs, involving 13,420 CoCROMs, and P511.65 million in condoned obligations across 14,512.8261 hectares.

One of the recipients, Abella Rivera from Talavera, expressed her relief after her P121,293.54 debt was fully condoned.

“The condonation is such a huge relief for us. We no longer have to worry about our debts, so we can now focus fully on farming,” Rivera said.

Following the debt condonation, DAR also distributed land titles under two major programs. Under the Regular Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD) Program, 65 land titles covering 49.014 hectares were distributed to 59 ARBs. Meanwhile, under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project, 170 e-titles covering 268.5760 hectares were turned over to 109 ARBs.

One of the SPLIT beneficiaries, Arturo Biag, a 66-year-old rice farmer from Cuyapo, shared his gratitude after finally receiving his individual land title.

“I never thought that after so many years, I would finally hold the title to the land I’ve been farming. I’m deeply grateful to the DAR and Project SPLIT for helping farmers like us,” Biag said.

The SPLIT Project seeks to subdivide collective Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) and issue individual land titles to qualified ARBs, ensuring secure tenure and encouraging responsible land management.

Capping the activity was the awarding of ₱4.2 million in financial assistance under the Agri-Enterprise Loan Easy Access for Rural Transformation (ALERT) Program to two Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organizations (ARBOs):

• Sta. Lucia Old Multipurpose Cooperative of Zaragoza – P2,715,000

• Kaagapay Agrarian Reform Cooperative of Talavera – P1,500,000

The ALERT Program, a joint initiative of the DAR, Department of Agriculture (DA), Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), provides timely and affordable credit to eligible ARBOs to support agricultural enterprises and promote sustainable rural livelihoods.

The event marks another milestone in DAR’s continuing mission to uplift the lives of Filipino farmers through genuine land reform, strengthened cooperatives, and sustained government support.