DAR validates status of EP/CLOA and geo-tagging in Toledo, Cebu

Toledo City, Cebu – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has recently started the validation of the the status of emancipation patents (EP) and certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) in this city.

The activity was conducted by a team from the Office of the Undersecretary for Special Concerns Office (SCO) in 29 barangays of Toledo City, Cebu.

Undersecretary Carim L. Panumpang of the SCO said Agrarian Reform Secretary John R. Castriciones ordered the checking of the status of the awarded lands whether they are still under the possession of those awarded by the agency and to inventory the agri-business venture agreements entered by the agrarian reform beneficiaries organization.

Panumpang said there have been information from several congressional hearings and other reports that there are numerous awarded land that are no longer actually tilled, cultivated or occupied by the registered agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).

“Reports showed that non-ARBs are in actual possession due to illegal sales, transfers or conveyances within the ten (10) year non-transferability period in violation of Section 27 of Republic Act No. 6657, as amended (M.C. NO. 333, series of 2018),” Panumpang said.

"Based from the pilot validation activities conducted by the Office of the Undersecretary for Special Concerns in the CALABARZON and Northern Mindanao regions, there are findings of numerous awarded lands which are not properly cultivated, if not abandoned, by the ARBs and considerable number of awarded lands were already conveyed or transferred by the ARBs without the necessary DAR clearance,” added Abdullah M. Linog, team leader of the validation team said.

The DAR shall adopt a system of monitoring the records or performance of each beneficiary, so that any beneficiary guilty of negligence or misuse of the land or any support extended to him shall forfeit his right to continue as beneficiary.

Based on the data of the agency, 4.8 million hectares of agricultural land has been distributed to 2.8 million ARBs. Such data needs to be reconciled with the actual data in the field in order to have a definite figure.

The team is set to conduct validation in other regions as well.

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