In Search of Common Grounds: Forging Land ... - ANGOC Site

22 IN SEARCH OF COMMON GROUNDDon Carlos, BukidnonThe Don Carlos Estate, thebiggest private land in theprovince of Bukidnon, is locatedin a town which goes by thesame name. Consisting of about4,086 hectares of flat to rollingterrain, the estate used to beknown as the Bukidnon Farms,Inc. (BFI), owned by Eduardo“Danding” Cojuangco, a cronyof former President FerdinandMarcos.Children of Barangay San Luis, Don Carlos, BukidnonThe area used to be planted tovarious crops, such ascoconuts, cacao and rice. At one time, there was also a tree plantation in the area.Following the coup that deposed Marcos in 1986, the BFI was sequestered by thegovernment of Corazon Aquino. In 1988, some 2,697 hectares of the BFI property wereordered for distribution to qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs). The area,since renamed as Don Carlos Estate, has been given over to the cultivation of sugar.Three sets of ARBs were identified bythe Provincial Agrarian Reform Office.First priority was to be given to BFIfarmworkers at the time of thesequestration. Three hectares wereallocated to each one. Second priorityARBs, which would be entitled to onehectare each, were landless residentsof the barangay where the land reformarea is located. Other landlessresidents from the municipality wereclassified as third priority.When the estate was awarded to theARBs, the indigenous group called theA Manobo couple in Don Carlos