PIA file photo.
CORON, Palawan (PIA) — Over a thousand farmers from Coron and Busuanga towns in Palawan will finally receive their respective land titles from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. when he leads the distribution of land titles in Coron on September 19.
President Marcos is expected to handover the 1,234 electronic titles (e-titles) issued under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Title (SPLIT) project covering the four lots previously issued with Collective Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CCLOAs) in favor of 1,217 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) with an area of 2,921.96 hectares more or less.
Assisted by Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III, the President will also distribute nine CCLOAs for 2,189 ARBs with a total land area of 6,253.84 hectares, as well as 53 CLOAs for 53 ARBs from the DAR’s Resettlement/Regular Program with a total land area of 4.8277 hectares, a briefer from DAR said.
Based on DAR MIMAROPA’s report, a total of 1,296 land titles covering a total land area of 9,189.63 hectares will be distributed to 3,459 ARBs during the distribution ceremony. The said land is part of the 37,047.80 hectares of Busuanga Pasture Reserves (BPR).
Aside from the ARBs, 51 agricultural graduates, 24 retired uniform personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)/Philippine National Police (PNP), and 50 former rebels (FRs) are also among the land program beneficiaries, the report said.
Aside from land distribution, President Marcos is also scheduled to turn over farm-to-market roads and other various government assistance.
Meanwhile, DAR has accelerated the distribution of land titles and other benefits to ARBs through Republic Act 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Law.
On July 7, 2023, Palawan represented the entire MIMAROPA region in the simultaneous distribution of land titles throughout the country in time with the historic signing of RA 11953.
The new law aims to alleviate the debt, including unpaid amortizations, interests, and surcharges incurred by the ARBs under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
President Marcos has earlier made a directive to fast track the processes in land distribution to help alleviate the lives of the farmers and have their own land. He also targets completing the agrarian reform program by 2028. (OCJ/PIA-MIMAROPA-Palawan)
