DENR, LBP, ROD renew support for CARP implementation in E. Visayas

          TACLOBAN CITY – With the renewal of support of three Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) implementing agencies, Regional Director Robert Anthony Yu of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Eastern Visayas is optimistic to hit the target in land distribution this year.

          During the “Synchronization of 2023 targets and Problem Solving Session with Line Agencies,” held in February, Yu thanked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Land Bank of the Philippines-Agrarian Operation Center (LBP-AOC) and the Registry of Deeds (ROD) for their support in 2022 which made DAR Eastern Visayas accomplished its targets.

          Yu took the opportunity to ask the three agencies to continue supporting the DAR this year for the benefit of the landless farmers who rely much on CARP to improve their quality of life.

          For this year, DAR Eastern Visayas targets 1,131 hectares for claim folder preparation and documentation; 811 hectares for verification and approval of land survey; 758 hectares for Emancipation Patent/Certificate of Land Ownership Award (EP/CLOA) registration; and 106 landholdings to be issued with Memorandum of Valuation, which are dependent on the three CARP implementing agencies abovementioned.

          Yu likewise disclosed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the DAR to fast track the implementation of the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project which made Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III committed to deliver 50 thousand hectares issued with individual titles by June.

          “Because Region-8 has the biggest scope under SPLIT with more that 220 thousand hectares, I committed to deliver 10 thousand hectares by June,” Yu said.

          In response to Yu’s plea to the line agencies, Engineers Fiel Pedrosa, Manager of LBP-AOC and Ramon Unay, Chief of the Surveys and Mapping Division at the DENR together with lawyers Emeterio Villanoza Jr. and Ryan Villablanca of ROD-Leyte and ROD-Samar, respectively, signed the pledge of commitment.

          Pedrosa said, we are very much willing to help the Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officers (MARPOs) improve the field investigation report which serves as input to our computation of land valuation.

          Unay stressed, “Noon pa palaging nandyan ang DENR to support the Program.” He added, “Hindi namin ililimit sa target lang namin. If you still have survey to be submitted to us for verification and approval, then we will still do it.”

          Meanwhile, Villablanca exclaimed “If I was able to sign 980 titles for the pabahay project in just half of a day, the two thousand targeted titles under SPLIT in Samar ay toothpick lang yan!”

          In return, Yu committed to provide to the said partner agencies the necessary logistics that will aid them in accomplishing the tasks required from them. ###