66 upland farmers get CLOAs

By: Dolly Yasa

MOISES PADILLA, Negros Occ. – For 68-year-old Magdalena Dagohoy, receiving a Certificate  of Land Ownership and Award  (CLOA) for a piece of land tilled by her family for generations is more than winning the lottery.

Dagohoy is one of the 66 beneficiaries of the 206-hectare landholdings of the family of Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo of Moises Padilla at sitio (subvilllage) Santos Santos, Barangay Quintin Remo.

Despite the security threats to her life, Yulo traversed more than 11 kilometers of rugged terrain to reach the area.

“Sobra pa ni nagdaog ko sa lotto,” Dagohoy told Daily Guardian here.

Dagohoy, chairperson of the Santos Santos Farmworkers Association, said she has been tilling the more than three hectares of land which was passed on from her grandfather.

The land is planted with sugarcane and corn. She said the product from the said property has sustained her family for generations.

The produce is not that much due to lack of government support and the dilapidated road condition.

But for Dagohoy, these are insignificant since they now own a piece of land. But she still hopes that the government can help them.

Yulo said going to the area is in line with the “whole of government approach” of the national government under President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

Sitio Santos Santos is categorized as a “rebel influenced barangay” by the military.

She said it is the first time that she has gone to the countryside after she defeated her uncle, former mayor Magdaleno Peña.

The election was marred with violence that cost the lives of her nephew, then re- electionist councilor Michael Garcia, and her brother Mark.

Because of the incident, Yulo limited her movement and increased her security escorts.

The mayor said the awarding of the CLOAs to the agrarian reform beneficiaries was long overdue after it was reportedly put on hold by her predecessor.

The property was handed down to them by her great grandmother, Marina Montilla- Garcia.

The mayor also held a dialogue with the beneficiaries and residents in the area.