CAMIGUIN (PIA) — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)-10 supported 3,715 farmers in the province through the Land Tenure Security Program (LTSP), which covered approximately 2,520 hectares as of May 2024 and facilitated the registration and distribution of 124 e-titles.
In addition, 3,443 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) have leasehold contracts over 8,600 hectares. The program aims to distribute agricultural lands to landless farmers, giving them ownership and security over the land they farm, said DAR-10 Regional Director Zoraida Macadindang at the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas on June 25.
For the ongoing foreign-assisted project, specifically the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project, DAR-10 has reached 5,938 ARBs and 1,048 Collective Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CCLOA) in Camiguin as of May 2024.
In terms of e-titles, 118 ARBs and 18 CCLOAs have been registered and distributed, covering a total of 42 hectares of land and 124 e-titles. The SPLIT Project seeks to accelerate the parcelization of agricultural landholdings under the agrarian reform program, which initially issued collective CLOAs to multiple farmer beneficiaries.
Additionally, for emancipation patents (EP) and CLOAs, four e-titles have been issued in Camiguin, covering 0.1862 hectares of land. The total number of agrarian reform beneficiaries in Camiguin is 7,158, with 7,146 ARBs. The province also hosts eight agrarian reform communities and 20 agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations.
As for the ongoing and proposed agrarian reform fund projects in Region 10, Camiguin currently has four ongoing subprojects worth P53 million and 26 proposed subprojects valued at P993 million.
Seny Fe Fabe, assistant regional director for support to operations at DAR-10, highlighted the challenges faced by Camiguin following the implementation of Executive Order 366, a government rationalization plan in 2013.
“Usa diha affected ang province of Camiguin, wherein they are considered LTI-free, so nigamay from 42 number of employees nahimo na lang nga 7 employees, ang nabilin nga currently karon 7 plus 6 CTI or ginatawag nato nga coterminous to the incumbent,” she added, citing that this reduction has posed significant challenges, particularly as the province lacks a records officer.
The province of Camiguin, which is considered LTI (Land Tenure Improvement)-free, saw a decrease in employee numbers from 42 to just 7. The remaining employees now consist of 7 plus 6 CTI, or co-terminus with the incumbent.)
As a recipient of various DAR projects, Rey Lawrence Tan, Mayor of Mahinog, Camiguin, emphasized the importance of sustaining projects initiated by national agencies. He stressed the need for regular maintenance, such as clearing canals, to prevent the degradation of these projects.
“Atong i-schedule nga clearing-on ang canal para mahatag ta og limpyo gyud nga tubig kay kung duna sa’y mag-atang nga hugaw diha, wala ta kahibalo, mainom nato,” Tan said.
(Let’s schedule the canal clearing to ensure we get clean water. If there’s dirt, we might end up drinking it.)
The Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas provides a platform for government officials and agencies to communicate important information, updates, and initiatives directly to the public. The event aims to promote public awareness and understanding of government actions and developments. (RTP/PIA-10/Camiguin)
