A total of 4,300 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Quezon were relieved from paying P442 million in agrarian debts as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III led the distribution of 11,497 Certificates of Condonation and Release of Mortgage (CoCRoM) covering 1,872.7398 hectares of land, on Friday, November 29, 2024, held at Quezon Convention Center, Lucena City.

Marcos said that under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project, the DAR aims to distribute individual land titles to the ARBs to parcelize collective Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) previously granted to them so that they can finally own the land they are tilling.

“Alam po namin ni Secretary Estrella na napakatagal na ninyong nag-aantay. Kaya’t binibilisan na namin ang pagibigay ng mga titulo para ng sa ganon ay maliwanag kung ano ang para sa inyo, at kung anuman ang aanihin ninyo ay sa inyo na rin,” Marcos said.

Marcos thanked the World Bank for partnering with the DAR to implement Project SPLIT.

“Masaya ko ding ibinabalita sa inyo na mahigit anim-na-raang benepisyaryo na ang nakakatanggap ng kanilang e-titles simula July 2022 dito sa probinsya ng Quezon,” he added.

Jayson Acuzar, 38 years old, one of the COCROM recipients from Candelaria, Quezon, with CLOA covering three (3) hectares, has been condoned of his debt amounting to almost P 500,000.00.

“Walang katapusang pasasalamat kay Pangulong Marcos. Dating katiwala lang ang lolo ko na si Alejandro Acuzar ng dating landowner na si Concepcion Rodriquez. Bilang apo, namana ko ang tatlong (3) ektaryang lupa na kanyang sinasaka. Halos kalahating milyon utang ang nabura ng pamahalaan. Kayamanan na para sa akin ang nasabing halaga,” he said.

Marcos also distributed fifteen (15) electronic titles (e-titles) under the Project SPLIT, comprising fifteen (15) ARBs from Buenavista, Quezon, covering an area of 30.8064 hectares.

This initiative is aligned with Republic Act No. 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act which is mandated to provide significant financial relief, motivate farmers, and contribute to national food security.

The event marks the first-ever COCROM distribution in CALABARZON and marks a significant milestone in empowering ARBs and enhancing regional agricultural productivity.