ROXAS CITY, Capiz, Philippines (PIA) — Some 124 farmer beneficiaries in this province are finally owners of the land they till after getting their Certificates of Land Ownership (CLOA) from President Benigno S. Aquino III himself during his visit to Capiz earlier this week.

Some 62 CLOAs covering an area of 176.85 hectares benefit a total of 124 farmer beneficiaries.

Of said land ownership certificates, 46 were through compulsory acquisition benefiting 34 farmers, six were government-owned land, four each through voluntary land tenure and settlement and two through operation land transfer.

Marilou Clarito, who represented the farmer beneficiaries from Pontevedra and Pilar; Gelma Delino for Dao and Dumalag; Rolando Demingoy for Maayon; Arjin Reapor of Tapaz; and Gerardo Dice of Sigma, personally received the CLOA from the President during the distribution of assistance on social services here.

For Maayon town, President Aquino distributed 21 CLOAs covering an area of 103.67 hectares benefiting 77 farmers, five certificates for Tapaz with an area of 49.12 hectares, 18 certificates for Sigma, 10 for Dao, four for Dumalag, three for Pontevedra, and one for Pilar.

The distribution of the CLOAs to the farmer-beneficiaries was among the activities of President Aquino during his first visit to Capiz since he assumed the Presidency.

Other social services funds he distributed included social pensions for the elderly covering the period April to June, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran, Supplementary feeding program for pre-school children, certificate of awards for the various programs of the Department of Agriculture in Capiz and PhilHealth cards the indigent Capiceños.