PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) — Since 1990, Ryan Villorente has depended on planting different crops to meet his family’s needs in Roxas town, Palawan. However, he cannot fully own the land as he has to face unsettled payments.
But decades of waiting have ended as he became one of the 1,200 agrarian beneficiaries who received a certificate of condonation with the release of mortgage (COCROM) in the province of Palawan.
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) distributed the certificates alongside the release of Certificates of Land Ownership (CLOAs) and e-titles of the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project.
“Balak na namin ipa-improve ‘yong lupa dahil ang iba namin na mga kasamahan ay hindi pa nila ginagalaw. Unang-una ay sinasaalang-alang namin noon ang mga bayarin sa lupa. Sa akin, unti-unti ko na dadagdagan dahil na-wash out ng bagyong Odette,” Villorente said.
The COCROM is anchored on Republic Act 11953, wherein debts as a result of amortization on lands awarded by the government through agrarian reform were condoned or written off.
Senator Imee Marcos, who joined the distribution at the Palawan Convention Center, said that there will be additional farmers to receive condonations and titles apart from the initial 615,000 recipients in the country.
“Ngayon, ang mismong utang na, zero balance na pati utang mismo— Kinakailangan tuloy-tuloy back up tayo sa mga mangingisda para makaahon sa kahirapan,” the Senator said.
DAR MIMAROPA Regional Director Marvin Bernal said that the government of Palawan condoned almost P67 million of debts covering 3,000 hectares.
Each agrarian reform beneficiary possesses an average of two to three hectares of land.
The 1,200 recipients of COCROM are part of those who have debts dated up to September 23, 2022.
Agrarian beneficiaries who have received land titles starting September 24, 2022, are no longer covered by the law but included in the moratorium in payment of amortization effective until September 23, 2023, Bernal explained.
“Ang kailangan lang nila hintayin ay ang ating pamamahagi ng certificate of condonation at ito ay dadalhin nila sa register of deeds para maitatak sa kanilang mga individual na titulo,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bernal said DAR will distribute another portion of Busuanga Pasteur Reserve for the towns of Coron and Busuanga. (RG/PIA MIMAROPA-Palawan)
