DAR to support Boracay’s Ati

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is set to extend support to the Ati, the indigenous people of Boracay Island, who recently received agricultural lands from the government.

“We will be providing the farmer-beneficiaries with planting tools and implements to maximize their efficiency when it comes to productivity,” said Agrarian Reform Secretary John R. Castriciones, adding that the DAR will also provide various trainings to help develop the re-distributed lands and uplift the economic lives of the Ati.

Recently, 44 members of the Ati group were provided land titles under collective ownership, covering a total of 3.2064 hectares, which were personally handed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Delsa Justo, community leader of the Ati who received the Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) in behalf of the group, said that they will take care of the land, for their children and all the future generations of Ati.

In addition to the distribution of the CLOAs to the Ati,  439 farmers from the towns of Buruanga, Tanggalan, and Malay, Aklan, also received land titles, covering a total of 270.8288 hectares, also from the President.

DAR eyeing to distribute lands to the Tumandok

Secretary Castriciones also said that they are looking to distribute lands to another group of indigenous people, the Tumandok, who lives on some of the wetlands in the island.

“I have already made the necessary coordination with Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu so that they would be able to develop and preserve the land,” he said.