DAR distributed land titles for 1,101.44 hectares to 1,693 beneficiaries in Cebu and Bohol on Oct. 26, 2026, while turning over farm machinery and support services.
Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III promised debt-free land, machinery, healthcare, and education coverage, while funding student filmmakers and urging youth to adopt modern agricultural careers.
Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro thanked national officials, emphasizing that land ownership requires early disaster preparedness, infrastructure, and continuous agricultural support to tackle food insecurity and climate challenges.
LAND titles covering 1,101.44 hectares in Cebu and Bohol were distributed to 1,693 agrarian reform beneficiaries on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at McKinley Hall, Cebu Normal University, during an event organized by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) 7.
During the event, the DAR 7 also reported its work from January to Oct. 15 and turned over farm machinery, including tractors and solar-powered water pumps. Free legal consultations, affidavit preparation and notarization were offered. Beneficiaries’ organizations displayed products from Cebu and Bohol.
In his speech, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the administration works under the directives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and coordinates with Cabinet secretaries to ease the burdens of beneficiaries. He said he would return to Cebu to oversee the handover of equipment.
“Landbank will help you with very low interest rates and we have lined up tractors, water pumps, trucks and fertilizers to be given directly to our agrarian reform beneficiaries,” Estrella said.
He told the beneficiaries that their wait for land ownership is over and that their titles are free of debt. He also discussed crop rotation, saying peanuts and other nitrogen-fixing legumes enrich the soil beneath eggplants. He also addressed concerns about impending tariff adjustments meant to stabilize pork prices.
Health care for farmers’ families
Estrella said the government is expanding safety nets to cover health care and education for farming families. He is in talks with the Department of Health, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and other officials to ensure that hospital expenses of beneficiaries are shouldered, he said, and a scholarship and college program for their children has been institutionalized.
Encouraging the young to farm
Speaking to the youth, Estrella rejected the idea that farming means hardship and urged methods of agriculture that let farmers profit.
“We should stop telling our children that planting is no joke and that they should avoid farming because life as a farmer is hard. It is joyful to farm and care for the land and livestock when you know what you are doing. We need scientific and modern methods of agriculture so that we can progress and earn as farmers,” Estrella said.
“Even if we send our children to become lawyers, doctors, engineers, or teachers, it sounds even more fulfilling if they become lawyer-farmers, engineer-farmers, doctor-farmers and professional farmers,” he added.
The DAR chief warned that as farmers age, failure to draw young people into agriculture risks food scarcity.
Student films
A students and farmers forum gave both groups a chance to talk about opportunities in agricultural enterprises. The second Regional PelikulAgraryo Film Festival also showed student-produced films about the experiences of beneficiaries.
Acknowledging the financial difficulties student filmmakers face, Estrella directed his finance team, including Undersecretary for Finance and Assistant Secretary Geneill De Melo, to provide production funding for participants in future festivals. He said cash prizes will double next year.
Support is important
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro thanked Estrella and Marcos for bringing government services to Cebuano farmers. She said land ownership must be matched with support because farmers remain exposed to production costs, water scarcity, weather and market prices.
She said early action against El Niño droughts and typhoons is needed to secure water supplies and help communities recover.
“We cannot wait until crops have failed or food has become scarce before we act. Agricultural support must be part of our preparedness,” Baricuatro said.
She cited farm-to-market roads in the region, where residents can now walk in clean footwear without wading through mud and renewed her administration’s commitment to lifting Cebu out of food insecurity.
DAR 7 and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. also signed a memorandum of understanding to develop agricultural enterprises, including initiatives involving local woven products and breadfruit.
The celebration ended with a farmers’ day featuring livelihood assistance, gift-giving and a raffle of farm tools, livestock and rice allocations. / ABC