Representatives of agrarian reform beneficiaries from Sagay, Murcia and La Castellana trooped to the provincial Capitol in Bacolod City yesterday to air their apprehensions over losing the land awarded to them for failure to pay their real property taxes and amortization.

They have received notices of foreclosure, but lack of government support services have made it difficult for them to make the land given to them productive, the beneficiaries said in a dialog with Jose Ma. Valencia, chief of staff of Gov. Joseph Marañon.

We are all members of the Dagyaw Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Action Center, Nenita Perafina of La Castellana said.

The government has not provided us with support and technical services to help us make a go at tilling the land on our own, Perafina said.

Elizeria Handumon said it is nice to own their own land, but at least when they had employers they had regular income, 13th month pay and were covered by Social Security Services.

Valencia said the complaints of the agrarian reform beneficiaries validates a study commissioned by the provincial government on the CARP implementation in Negros Occidental.

Condoning amortization payments on land given to CARP beneficiaries is beyond the jurisdiction of the provincial government, Valencia said.

You also cannot talk about a moratorium on payment of land taxes that serve as the backbone of the operation of local governments, he said.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Teresita Depeñoso said it is the social responsibility of CARP beneficiaries to pay for amortizations and land taxes, because everything cannot be for free.

The DAR should review these existing problems and address them, Valencia said.

Land reform is not just land distribution, it should improve the lives of the beneficiaries, he said.

Beneficiaries cannot just be provided with land, they the need technical, financial and marketing assistance, Valencia said.

It is hard for small sugarcane planters to make a profit, he said.*CPG

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