Farmers from Hacienda Chiquita held a lightning rally on Wednesday, July 9, in front of the public market near the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) office in EB Magalona to protest the cancellation of their Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) coverage over 22 and 79 hectares of land, respectively.
The cancellation order issued by the DAR Central Office way back in 2022 affects at least 119 farmer-beneficiaries across both parcels, threatening their claim to the land they have long cultivated.
According to Danilo Tabura, chairperson of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) Negros, the affected land spans Barangay Tuburan and parts of Barangay Poblacion 1, and will affect more than 120 farm workers and could potentially displace 300 households, or 1,500 individuals.
The protesters denounced the cancellation, which cited “erroneous location” as the basis for revoking the notice of coverage (NOC) for the contested area.
Residents and farm workers have lived and worked in the area since 1952, with the DAR encouraging their application for land reform coverage as early as 2012.
Tabura explained that the 21-hectare parcel had already been titled to the Republic of the Philippines in 2019, with a pending Land Bank valuation and a promise of installation from DAR.
“Ang kulang na lang talaga ay ang pormal na pag-install. Pero tinutulan ito ng mga may-ari at ibinasura pa ng DAR Central Office ang coverage,” Tabura said.
The land is part of a 120-hectare sugarcane estate previously owned by landowner Benjamin Bautista, now administered by his children including former Sugar Regulatory Administration official Gina Bautista Martin.
DAR encouraged farm workers to apply for coverage as early as 2012, Tabura said, with assistance from the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW).
Tabura said that while the DAR initially sided with the farmer-beneficiaries, opposition from the landowners delayed the process, despite the partial deposit of payment from the Land Bank.
A commitment made by the Provincial Agrarian Reform Office in October 2019 to erect a billboard signaling the land’s readiness for installation was never fulfilled.
However, the successive crackdown on mass organizations and the COVID-19 lockdowns, prevented farmer-beneficiaries from following up on their papers.
It was only in 2023 that the farmers were officially informed that the DAR Central Office had already cancelled their NOC, citing failure to meet procedural requirements.
“Matagal nang alam ng regional at provincial offices ang cancellation, pero huli na nang naipabatid ito sa mga magsasaka,” Tabura said.
In early 2024, farmer-beneficiaries reconnected with NFSW and filed an appeal to the DAR Central Office by April.
In December 2024, construction began on a road from the national highway to the Eco Trail in Barangay Tomongtong and the RORO port in Barangay Manta-angan, which cuts across roughly 4 hectares of the 21-hectare parcel, raising concerns of land use conversion that could undermine the appeal process.
If the appeal is granted, Tabura warned that the road construction and title transfers to the local government may force the agrarian reform process to start over, or serve as a basis to junk the farmers’ claims altogether.
“Isa ito sa mga paraan ng sistematikong pagbawi sa mga lupa na dapat sana sa mga magsasaka,” Tabura said.
The 21-hectare area is reportedly earmarked for commercial development, including a plaza, a police station, and other local government ventures.
Meanwhile, the adjacent 79-hectare portion is also under petition, after its APFU (Application to Purchase and Farmers’ Undertaking) status was stalled due to the implementation of the SPLIT program.
Tabura explained that under the Duterte and Marcos Jr. administrations, funding for new land acquisitions under CARP has dried up, threatening many late-stage applications.
He said most of the government’s resources have shifted to the SPLIT and Emancipation Act, which facilitate land reconsolidation rather than distribution.
“Mismong mga benepisyaryo pa ang nawawalan ngayon dahil sa bagong mga programa na hindi tunay na reporma sa lupa,” Tabura said.
According to KMP, the 79 hectares have been marked for reclassification by the LGU for a tenement housing project to relocate residents displaced by coastal development in nearby barangays.
Beneficiaries were reportedly informed that monthly payments for these housing units would be set at ₱3,500.
Tabura said these developments reflect a broader pattern of land conversion and dispossession in Negros Island, and throughout the Philippines.
“Itigil na ang land use conversion at ipatupad ang tunay na reporma sa lupa,” said Tabura. “Ang kasong ito ay halimbawa ng garapalang pang-aagaw ng lupa ng estado.”
Paghimutad 