KIDAPAWAN CITY – Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado Estrella III distributed a total of 3,524 certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) covering 6,103 hectares of land to 3,273 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani (SOCCSKSARGEN).
Estrella said that of the 6,103 hectares distributed, 3,692 hectares were subdivided into 2,166 electronic land titles (e-titles) and awarded to 1,871 ARBs under the agency’s Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project.
Project SPLIT subdivides collective certificates of land ownership award (CCLOAs) that were previously issued by the DAR.
“Issuing separate titles for each farmer-beneficiary is better because it enables them to have a clear and defined ownership of the parcels of land they are tilling. It will also give them the freedom to plant whatever they want on the lands awarded to them and not conform with what the majority wants,” Estrella said.
He said that under the SPLIT project, the DAR would subdivide the awarded lands covered by a CCLOA, which would mean that each farmer beneficiary would be given an individual land title based on the actual area or a particular portion of land they are tilling.
“The land title is finally in my name. I can now truly say that the land I am tilling is mine. I am thankful for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr and Secretary Estrella for the quick processing of our land titles,” said Ruben Rivas, a farmer-beneficiary from Columbio, Sultan Kudarat.
Also distributed were CLOAs issued under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and government-owned lands under Executive Order No. 75.
Of the CLOAs under CARP, 1,143 CLOAs covering 2,216 hectares of lands were awarded to 1,220 ARBs, while 215 CLOAs under EO 75 covering 194 hectares of land were given to 182 ARBs.
In his speech, Estrella reported the good news about House Bill 6336, the proposed law which aims to condone the existing loan of farmers, has been approved on its second reading by the House of Representatives.
“When the law is enacted, ARBs who are yet to receive their awarded land under the CARP will receive it without any obligation to pay any amortization,” Estrella explained.
At present, SOCCSKSARGEN region has the highest land title distribution under the leadership and administration of President Marcos.
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