Manila, May 15 -- A total of 220 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Cebu province were relieved from paying some PHP502,468 in unpaid amortizations under the condonation program of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

In a news release on Thursday, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the condonation covered a total of 170.382 hectares of agricultural land across the municipalities of Pinamungajan, with 157 ARBs; Toledo City, with 52 ARBs; and Aloguinsan, with 11 ARBs.

"This is not just about land, it's about giving our farmers a better life," he said.

Estrella stressed the importance of empowering farmers by freeing them from decades of debt.

Farmer Bienvenido Tango-an of Pinamungajan was among those who celeb...