More than 2,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries receive land titles in Palawan

A total of 2,047 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) received 2,076 land titles covering a total area of 3,957 hectares during the distribution ceremony held at the Capitol Convention Center in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

Of the 2,076 land titles distributed, 1,950 were electronic titles (e-titles) issued under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling or Project SPLIT and the remaining 126 land titles are Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) issued under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Edwin Acoy, a coconut and banana farmer from Puerto Princesa, Palawan, expressed his gratitude to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for his CLOA.

“Lubos-lubos po ang aking pasasalamat sa inyo pong lahat na nasa likod ng programang ito na naging daan sa pagmamay-ari ng aming lupa. Nanumpa poangmgabenepisyaryo ng DAR at mga magsasaka na ito po ay aming iingatan. Hindi po namin ito ipagbibili, bagkus, ito po ay aming pagyayamanin,” Acoy said.

DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III reminded the farmers that the enactment of Republic Act 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, removed the burden of payment for land awarded to ARBs.

“Dito po sa administration ni President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., ang gusto niya, hindi lang lupa ang maibigay na sa inyo. Gusto niya po na ang ibibigay na lupa sa inyo, wala na kayong babayaran. Libre na po yan, wala na kayong utang, inyo na ang lupa,” Estrella said.

“At sa susunod na babalik kami rito, amin pong ipapamigay ang certificate of condonation and release of mortgage na nagsasabing wala na po kayong utang,” Estrella added.