PBBM to distribute certificates of condonation to 6,000 Nueva Ecija ARBs

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is set to distribute a total of 9,832 Certificates of Condonation and Release of Mortgage (CoCRoM) to 6,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Nueva Ecija Coliseum, Palayan City, Nueva Ecija during his birthday on September 13, 2024.

Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III said the 6,000 ARBs to be provided with 9,832 CoCRoM covering 10,450 hectares of agricultural lands, will be relieved from paying their loans totaling P277 million as prescribed under the Republic Act 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act (NAEA).

“CoCRoM will open doors and create opportunities for ARBs to make their farms more productive, resulting in greater financial security for farmers and food supply chain security for the Filipino people,” Estrella said.

DAR Central Luzon Regional Director James Arsenio Ponce disclosed that the distribution of CoCRoMs in Nueva Ecija province will be the first-ever to be held in Central Luzon.

Ponce said aside from the distribution of CoCRoM, the President, the DAR Secretary, in partnership with the Landbank of the Philippines, will also distribute P41-million worth of agri-credit checks to 480 ARBs representing twelve (12) ARB organizations.

“This twin distribution of condonation certificates and agri-credit checks will be doubly significant as the DAR also awarded around 1,000 CoCRoMs for Bulacan ARBs at the DAR Central Office during the birthday of DAR Secretary Estrella on September 12, 2024,” Ponce said.

The Certificates of Condonation are the full realization of RA 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act signed by the President on July 7, 2023. The Act greatly complements the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program or CARP of the government by condoning all loans incurred by the ARBs from lands awarded to them by the government under the agrarian reform program, including interests and surcharges.

The law is estimated to benefit over 600,000 Filipino farmers nationwide, covering more than 1.7 million hectares of land.