The farmers of Hacienda Tinang in Concepcion, Tarlac once again successfully asserted their legitimate and legal rights to the land in a dialogue held between them and the national office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) yesterday, April 15. DAR promised to grant ownership of the land within 15 days.

Concurrent with the dialogue, the farmers, along with their supporters, picketed before the department’s office. A hundred residents of Sityo Balubad, Barangay Anunas, Pampanga joined them in the picket-dialogue. Balubad residents formally reported their situation in Pampanga, where they face the threat of demolition and eviction.

The people of Tinang have repeatedly held dialogues with the DAR because of its delayed promise to install them in the 63.4-hectare land they have long been cultivating. The last of these dialogues was only on March 20 where they were informed that they will be installed as land owners on April 11.

But on April 5, the farmers received a letter that Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Rogelio Marzan suddenly canceled the awarding of titles. The local DAR office in Tarlac was unable to answer so the farmers decided to take their case to the national office.

Meanwhile, residents of Barangay Anunas tabled the cancellation of the local DAR office in Pampanga of CLOAs to allow Vive Eagle to seize the 73-hectare land they already paid for.