Friday, August 08, 2008 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
By Edmund B. Sestoso
BAIS CITY, Negros Oriental -- Vice President Noli De Castro said there will be no land conversions of agricultural land particularly those devoted to rice in favor of housing sites.
De Castro was in the city Thursday for the inauguration of the Bais Highlands and after which he proceeded to Sibulan town, which is near to Dumaguete City, also known as the Northville situated in Barangay Bolocboloc.
The vice president's assurance was a reiteration of an earlier order of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the Department of Agrarian Reform and other related agencies to put a stop to processing of land conversions during the height of the rice crisis, which had affected the whole country.
De Castro said they make sure that those lands devoted to rice should not be touched by any form of conversions so as not to hamper the President's order and campaign for enhanced food security.
He also certified that the two housing sites developed by Lotiff Construction is not situated in any rice field or irrigated lands. "This means rice and irrigated lands cannot be converted to subdivision areas," he said.
Meanwhile, De Castro during his visit here has distributed the remaining Certificate of Lot Entitlement (Cela) to more than 200 beneficiaries who are residents of Barangay Dos.
Twenty residents of Cantil-e in Dumaguete City were also awarded with Cela during the inauguration of Northville in Barangay Pitong Gatang, Bolocboloc, Sibulan.
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