PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan — A total of 2,047 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) received 2,076 combined individual and electronic land titles (e-titles) and certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) covering a total area of 3,957 hectares of agricultural lands in this province.
Edwin Acoy, a coconut and banana farmer from Puerto Princesa, Palawan, was very grateful for his CLOA from the DAR.
“l could not contain my happiness upon receiving the CLOA. I am grateful to President Bongbong Marcos and the DAR for their commitment to serving the ARBs. I will never sell it. I will enrich it as much as I can for the future of my family,” Acoy said.
He also said her family would treasure the land and plant more cash crops for their daily sustenance.
DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III said 1,950 e-titles were issued to 1,907 ARBs under the agency’s Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling or Project SPLIT.
“The 1,907 ARBs under the Project SPLIT were previously awarded lands under collective certificates of land ownership award (CCLOAs). This time, they were given individual e-titles after the department went through the process of subdividing the CCLOAs,” Estrella said.
The Project SPLIT aims to strengthen the ARB’s land tenure security and property rights to their lands.
The remaining 126 CLOAs were issued under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and distributed to 140 ARBs.
Estrella reminded the farmers of the enactment into law of Republic Act 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which will free the ARBs from the financial burden of paying loans extended to awarded agricultural lands under CARP.
“Last year, on July 7, RA 11953 was signed by the President in Malacañang. ARBs like you who have now been awarded agricultural lands from the CARP will be free from the obligation of amortization. So let us also thank our legislators for the enforcement of this law,” Estrella said.
“The next time I return, we will award certificates of condonation to free all of you from your debts,” Estrella added.
The distribution of land title was held on April 11 at the Palawan Convention Center in Puerto Princesa City.
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