SAGAY CITY – President Duterte promised to provide fertilizers and mobile phones to each of the 2,495 agrarian reform beneficiaries who received land titles during his visit Friday to this northern Negros Occidental city.
“I will give you all 2,000 plus cell phones. I will provide you with a contact number,” the President told them in his speech after he distributed 3,423 Certificates of Land Ownership Award in a ceremony at Balay Kauswagan.
He said the farmer-beneficiaries can use their mobile phones to file a complaint or raise a concern to the government. “I will give you fertilizer. I will help you, and if there is a problem and if the fertilizer will not arrive soon, I will tell them to speed it up,” the President, who spoke mostly in Cebuano, added.
The 2,495 ARBs received land titles to 1,609 hectares of acquired land from 141 landowners in eight cities and 11 municipalities in Negros Occidental.
Those from northern Negros consisted of 400 beneficiaries from Cadiz City, who received 525 land titles; Calatrava, 42 with 65 titles; EB Magalona, 96 with 185 titles; Escalante City, 164 with 273 titles; Manapla, 94 with 200 titles; Murcia, 216 with 272 titles; Sagay City, 331 with 253 titles; San Carlos City, 118 with 174 titles; Talisay City, 30 with 39 titles; Toboso, 180 with 270 titles; and Bacolod City, 31 with 28 titles.
The recipients from the south were 153 beneficiaries from Bago City, with 208 land titles; Binalbagan, 37 with 56 titles; Hinigaran, 103 with 127 titles; Isabela, 54 with 86 titles; Kabankalan City, 116 with 201 titles; La Castellana, 109 with 185 titles; Moises Padilla, 169 with 218 titles; and Pontevedra 52 with 58 titles.
Penida Marata, 61, a farmer-beneficiary of Mirasol Development Corp. in Barangay Andres Bonifacio, Sagay City, said she is thankful to have finally received an individual title to a land of more than two hectares after waiting for almost four years. “This will help improve the life of my family. This is for my children, and my grandchildren,” she added.
Meanwhile, Duterte thumbed down the idea of legalizing marijuana in the country, including its possible use for medicinal purposes.
“You must remember that heroin, cocaine, and the derivatives are products of opium poppy plant. So matagal masyado magtama, if at all.Talagang mabuang. Plant ‘yan eh. Marijuana. They are cultivated,” Duterte said in his speech at the campaign rally of the administration party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan in Victorias City, Negros Occidental.
Duterte said considering marijuana as a medicinal drug equates to condoning wrongdoings. “I am ignorant of that kind of research, I must admit. And I do not read it and I do not intend to legalize it. Ayaw ko. Gawain mo lang excuse ‘yan eh. Magtatanim ka ng iyo. Sabihin mo, ‘Medicinal man kaya ‘to,” he said.
The President said drug traders can use this measure as an excuse to continue their illegal businesses. “Sabihin medicinal. Lahat na lang mag-medicinal na. That would be an excuse. Hindi ako pumayag. Not in my time. Not in my time. Some other president, maybe,” he said. (PNA and Argyll Geducos)
