Regional Project Management Office Caraga Concludes Action-Planning Workshop to Address Environmental and Social Safeguard Concerns in Project SPLIT

The Regional Project Management Office (RPMO) Caraga of the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (Project SPLIT) recently concluded a two-day action-planning workshop to address environmental and social safeguard (ESS) concerns. This workshop, held on August 27-28, 2024, at the Grand Palace Hotel in Butuan City, also included a re-orientation on ESS standards.

Project SPLIT, partially funded by the World Bank, aims to subdivide Collective Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CCLOAs) issued by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) into individual land titles or e-titles.

As part of the project's loan agreement, the World Bank, ensuring environmental preservation during implementation, has necessitated the inclusion of environmental and social safeguards (ESS). Through the ESS, the project's activities are carried out in a way that protects the environment and safeguards the rights and livelihoods of affected communities.

The workshop aimed to critically analyze existing environmental and social issues in Project SPLIT's implementation in Caraga, particularly the overlapping of CCLOAs and the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs).

This overlapping issue covers an estimated area of 7,256 hectares and potentially impacts 2,975 Indigenous People-Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (IP-ARBs) in the region.

Regional Director Atty. Merlita S. Capinpuyan emphasized the workshop's importance in addressing, mitigating, or amicably settling concerns already faced by the Provincial Project Management Offices (PPMOs), specifically the issue of overlapping.

RD Capinpuyan further urged participants to "thoroughly understand the key points discussed during the workshop. This information is essential for effective field implementation, particularly in addressing this complex issue."

Representatives from the Central Project Management Office (CPMO), led by National ESS Coordinator Rosario Regalado, served as resource persons and presented various plans and initiatives of Project SPLIT to address ESS issues, including the Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework (IPPF) and the Resettlement Policy Framework.

Consultant and former DAR Assistant Secretary Ma. Celerina Afable stated, "Resolving the issue of overlapping CCLOAs and ancestral domains requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders. Identifying and implementing sustainable solutions that respect the rights and interests of both ARBs and ICCs/IPs is crucial."

As part of the workshop's output, the PPMOs presented their action plan for the preparatory activities for CCLOA overlaps, expected to commence from September to December 2024.

These preparatory activities may include preparing and reviewing existing overlap data, creating a master list, conducting community consultations with concerned ICCs/IPs, NCIP, and other agencies, and creating an Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP) for the affected areas.

To ensure effective monitoring, PPMOs are now required to submit monthly progress reports on their action plans.

Through this workshop, the Caraga RPMO has strengthened its commitment to positively and mutually resolving issues under the Project SPLIT ESS guidelines, specifically the CCLOA-CADT overlap.

Currently, DAR is awaiting the signing of a joint administrative order (JAO) with other agencies involved in Project SPLIT, which may further address the ESS issues.