The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has issued a set of guidelines through Administrative Order No. 4, Series of 2021, to reduce unnecessary procedures in the delivery of public service and to streamline the process of securing clearances for the transfer of private agricultural lands which have not been issued with Notice of Coverage (NOC) based on Republic Act (RA) No. 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) or those not covered by any agrarian reform program.

“We have reduced the number of processing days in compliance with certain provisions of the government which require the revision of existing rules and guidelines on the transfer of agricultural lands and also to adjust to the new normal brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic,” DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones said.

The DAR chief is referring to the following provisions: RA No. 11032, or the “Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018” which amends RA No. 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007; Proclamation No. 922, Series of 2020, “Declaring a State of Public Emergency Throughout the Philippines,”; Proclamation No. 929, Series of 2020, “Declaring a State of Calamity throughout the Philippines due to Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19),”; and RA No. 11494, otherwise known as “The Bayanihan Act II,”

He said the Administrative Order applies only to land transactions involving private agricultural lands which have not been with Notice of Coverage (NOC).

“The issuance of the Land Transfer Clearance (LTC) on this Administrative Order excludes agricultural lands covered under any other agrarian reform program, under Presidential Decree (PD) No. 27, RA No. 6657, as amended, and land transactions with exemption/exclusion/conversion orders issued by the DAR,” he said.

He disclosed that the applicant-transferor and transferee, or the duly authorized representative shall file a written application or request for the issuance of LTC before the DAR Provincial Office (DARPO) where the property is registered with the Register of Deeds.

“The DAR will not accept any written applications or requests filed personally or through e-mail unless all the mandatory documentary requirements and proof of payment of filing fee as specified under Section 10 are submitted and attached,“ the DAR chief said.

Castriciones said that the electronic copy of all applications or requests and their annexes shall be accepted only in a Portable Document Format (PDF) form. The DAR office shall subsequently require the submission of the hard or printed copies of the submitted documents via registered mail or by personally submitting the same directly to the DAR, in order to verify the authenticity of the documents.

He said that the applicants may also store the files, applications, or requests and documentary requirements, in a portable storage device, such as USB flash drives, compact discs (CD), or digital versatile discs (DVDs) which should be properly labeled as to their contents and submit the same to the DARPO in a sealed envelope through the Postal Office or by any other accredited couriers.

Castriciones emphasized that a filing fee of Two Thousand Pesos (PhP 2,000.00) for every land transaction shall be collected by the issuing DARPO through its cashier or through online banking, and deposited to the Bureau of Treasury (BTr) local accounts.

“The applicants or any person adversely affected by the LTC may file an original Agrarian Law Implementation (ALI) case before the Office of the Regional Director pursuant to DAR AO No. 03, Series of 2017,” he said.

He said that the duly signed Certification on the LTC issued by the PARPO II shall remain effective for a period of six (6) months immediately after its issuance.

Naglabas ng mga alituntunin ang Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) sa pamamagitan ng Administrative Order No. 4, Serye ng 2021, upang mabawasan ang mga hindi kinakailangang mga pamamaraan sa paghahatid ng serbisyo publiko at upang mapabilis ang proseso ng pagkuha ng clearances para sa paglilipat ng mga pribadong lupaing agrikultura na hindi na-isyuhan ng Notice of Coverage (NOC) base sa Republic Act No. 6657 o ang Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) o mga lupaing hindi sakop ng kahit anong programa sa repormang agraryo.

Ayon kay DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones, "binawasan namin ang bilang ng mga araw ng pagproseso alinsunod sa ilang mga probisyon ng gobyerno na nangangailangan ng pagbabago ng mga umiiral na mga patakaran at patnubay sa paglilipat ng mga lupang agrikultura at upang umayon din sa bagong normal na dulot ng pandemyang Covid-19.”

Tinutukoy ng hepe ng DAR ang mga sumusunod na probisyon: RA No. 11032, o ang “Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018” na sinusugan ang RA No. 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act ng 2007; Proclamation No. 922, Serye ng 2020, “Declaring a State of Public Emergency Throughout the Philippines,”; Proclamation No. 929, Serye ng 2020, “Declaring a State of Calamity throughout the Philippines due to Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19),”; at ang RA No. 11494, na mas kilala bilang “The Bayanihan Act II”.

Aniya, saklaw lamang ng Administrative Order ang mga transaksyon sa lupa na kinabibilangan ng mga pribadong lupang pang-agrikultura na walang notice of coverage (NOC).

"Sa ilalim ng Administrative Order na ito, hindi sakop ng Land Transfer Clearance (LTC) ang anumang lupain na nasaklaw na ng agrarian reform program, ng Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 27, ng sinusugang RA Blg. 6657, at mga transaksyon sa lupa na may exemption/exclusion/conversion order na inisyu ng DAR, " ani Castriciones.

Dagdag pa ng Kalihim, ang aplikante na maglilipat ng lupain at ang taong paglilipatan o ang kanyang kinatawan ay dapat mag-file ng aplikasyon o kahilingan para sa LTC sa DAR Provincial Office (DARPO) kung saan nakarehistro ang lupain sa Register of Deeds.

"Hindi tatanggapin ng DAR ang anumang aplikasyon o kahilingan na isinumite ng personal o sa pamamagitan ng e-mail kung hindi kumpleto ang lahat ng mga kinakailangang mga dokumento at katunayan ng pagbabayad sa aplikasyon base sa nakasaad sa ilalim ng Seksyon 10 na dapat ay isumite at i-attach,” aniya.

Sinabi ni Castriciones na ang electronic copy ng nasabing aplikasyon o kahilingan at mga annexes nito ay tatanggapin lamang sa isang Portable Document Format (PDF) form. Kasunod nito ay ang pagsusumite sa DAR ng hard o printed copy ng mga dokumento sa pamamagitan ng registered mail o personal, para sa pagpapatunay ng authenticity o katotohanan ng mga dokumento.

Ang mga aplikante ay maaari ring magpadala sa DARPO ng mga file, aplikasyon o kahilingan at mga kinakailangan dokumento sa isang portable storage device tulad ng USB flash drives, compact discs (CD), o digital versatile discs (DVDs) na may tamang markings o label ng nilalaman nito sa pamamagitan ng Postal Office o ng iba pang mga accredited courier.

Binigyang diin ni Castriciones na ang bayad na dalawang libong piso (Php 2,000.00) na filing fee sa bawat aplikasyon ay maaaring kolektahin ng DARPO cashier o sa pamamagitan ng on-line banking na idedeposito sa mga lokal na account ng Bureau of Treasury (BTr).

"Ang aplikante o sinumang taong naapektuhan ng LTC ay maaaring magsampa ng kaso ng Agrarian Law Implementation (ALI) sa opisina ng Regional Director alinsunod sa DAR AO No. 03, Serye ng 2017, ”ani Castriciones.

Dagdag pa ng opisyal, ang pinirmahan na LTC ng PARPO II ay mananatiling epektibo sa loob ng anim (6) na buwan pagkatapos ng paglabas nito.