DAR releases guidelines on landed estates under agrarian reform

CITY OF NAGA, Bicol Region – Bicol farmer-beneficiaries of the government agrarian reform program are reminded that the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has come up with guidelines over the distribution, awarding, and titling of lands.

DAR said it has recently issued guidelines governing the completion of distribution and titling of landed estates under Republic Act (R.A) No. 3844, as amended, and turned-over by the Landbank of the Philippines through Administrative Order No.08, Series of 2016.

Many large tracts of land in the Bicol Provinces are still under process of agrarian reform, and many farmers-beneficiaries are still in the waiting end for the awarding of farm-lots.

Secretary Rafael V. Mariano said DAR is mandated under RA No. 9700 to complete the distribution of all remaining undistributed lands covered under the agrarian reform program, which include landed estates acquired by the government and financed by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

Mariano said the transfer of title of the landed estates acquired and financed by LBP, that were turned-over to DAR, shall not be imposed or charged tax of any kind.

He added the Registry of Deeds concerned shall undertake its ministerial duty for the registration, issuance, and cancellation of titles relative to the transfer of the subject lands without requiring the submission of tax declaration and tax clearance.

Mariano said the qualified awardee/allocatee/actual tiller/claimant/ applicant may be awarded an area not exceeding three (3) hectares of farm-lot of the agricultural land, which may cover a contiguous tract of land or several parcels of land and one home-lot not exceeding 1,000 square meters.

He said that an excess area beyond the award ceiling in farm-lot and home-lot shall be awarded to other qualified applicants.

Mariano cited that an awardee/allocatee of a farm-lot who has been previously issued an Order of Award (OA) or Certificate of Land Transfer (CLT) before June 15, 1988, or a registered allocatee approved by the Secretary before June 15, 1988, as reflected in the masterlist on file at DAR Provincial Office (DARPO) and Bureau of Land Tenure Improvement (BLTI) and remains in possession of the land, shall be entitled to the allowable award limit of not more than six (6) hectares.

“An awardee/allocatee or his/her heir with OA or CLT shall be issued Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA), provided, that awardee/allocatee or his/her heir is still in actual possession and/or cultivation of the land; there is/are no adverse claimant/s on the subject lot; there is/are no conflict of claim/s filed in the Court or any appropriate body or Tribunal; or there is no OA or CLT issued in favor of others,” Mariano added. [BicolToday.com]

Source: http://bicoltoday.com/2016/09/09/dar-releases-guidelines-on-landed-estates-under-agrarian-reform/