The Don Carlos Bukidnon United Farmers Association, Inc. (DCBUFAI) on Sunday expressed frustration over delays in the issuance of Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) to its members, even as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) reported distributing more than 10,000 land titles in the Caraga Region in December 2025.

According to DCBUFAI, the delay has left hundreds of smallholder farmers in Don Carlos, Bukidnon, uncertain about their land rights, affecting productivity and exposing them to potential land-grabbing and displacement. The affected farmers are claiming 109 hectares of land formerly part of Bukidnon Farms Inc., a property turned over to the government for agrarian reform in 1986.

“Maka wala og gana maka kita nga naay pila ka libo nga CLOA na-issue sa uban samantala kami ga-hulat sa pipila na ka dekada para sa amoang CLOA,” (It is disheartening to see thousands of CLOAs issued elsewhere while we continue to wait for decades for our CLOAs) said Jovencio Destor, president of DCBUFAI. “Among mga miyembro nag tuman naman sa mga kinahanglanon ug nag tambong man mi sa proseso. Ang hinay nga pag hatag nag hikaw kanamo sa kalig-onon sa among panginabuhi.” (Our members have complied with requirements and participated in the process. The slow pace of issuance deprives us of the stability we need to improve our livelihoods.)

DCBUFAI is calling on DAR Region X to expedite processing and distribution of CLOAs to qualified farmers in Bukidnon, citing decades-long delays. The demand was reiterated during a July 2025 protest rally and a dialogue at the DAR Regional Office X in Cagayan de Oro, joined by the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) and allied organizations, who also urged DAR Central Office and oversight bodies to investigate bottlenecks in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) implementation in Don Carlos.

“Wala kami nangayo og espesyal nga pag-tratar, hinaut lang unta nga patas ug dinali-dali. Atong mag-uuma angay mahatagan sa parehong pagtagad ug aksyon gihatag sa uban lugar,” (We are not asking for special treatment, only fairness and urgency. Our farmers deserve the same attention and action afforded to other areas) Destor added.

The delay in land titling also increases farmers’ vulnerability to climate impacts. Across Southeast Asia, smallholder farmers face droughts, heat stress, storms, and flooding, yet receive only limited climate adaptation support. In the Philippines, extreme weather events cause billions of pesos in annual agricultural losses, affecting the livelihoods of millions. Tenured land rights and access to adaptation resources are considered critical for resilience, food security, and the sustainability of smallholder farming communities.

“Agrarian reform is one of the cornerstones of climate justice. When farmers can secure and manage their land, they can adopt diversified cropping, agroecology, organic farming, and other climate-resilient practices that strengthen food systems, improve productivity, and reduce emissions,” said Lucita Gonzales, PMCJ Mindanao coordinator.

PMCJ also called on DAR to immediately fast-track CLOA issuance. “For decades, DCBUFAI members have complied with every revalidation and dialogue, yet DAR 10 continues to delay what should have been delivered long ago. This lack of transparency and accountability is unacceptable,” said Ian Rivera, PMCJ national coordinator.

Rivera added that agrarian reform cannot be treated as a statistic. “Ensuring equitable land distribution is critical to building resilience to worsening climate impacts. Every delay pushes farmers deeper into poverty and puts the collective future at risk,” he said.