1,172 farmers to receive e-titles from DAR

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Bicol will distribute a total of 1,229 individual electronic land titles (e-titles) to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) on Friday, July 7, under the Support to Parcelization of Land for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project that aims at fast-tracking the process of obtaining land ownership for the farmers.

The distribution of individual titles, set to take place in Capitol Complex, Pili, Camarines Sur, aligns with the directive of DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III to expedite the subdivision of collective certificates of land ownership awards (CCLOAs) for about 1.3 million hectares of land nationwide.

DAR Bicol Director Reuben Theodore C. Sindac said the e-titles cover 1,977.3045 hectares of agricultural lands located throughout the region.

A total of 1,172 beneficiaries of agrarian reform will be awarded individual titles. These include 289 e-titles for Albay, 249 for Camarines Sur I, 210 for Sorsogon, 141 for Masbate, 136 for Camarines

Norte, 126 for Camarines Sur II, and 78 for Catanduanes.

In terms of land area, Albay will have the largest number of individual e-titles with 476.2019 hectares. At 353.1582 hectares, Sorsogon came in second followed by Camarines Sur I with 327.1351 hectares. Camarines Sur II and Camarines Norte finished with 264.0873 hectares and 263.2829 hectares, respectively, while Masbate arrived at 209.6602 hectares and Catanduanes with 83.7189 hectares.

“By distributing individual e-titles to ARBs, the DAR seeks to empower farmers and unlock economic opportunities for them,” said Sindac.

“This initiative marks the government’s commitment to agrarian reform, and it is expected to bring significant benefits to the ARBs and their families,” he added.

With the parcelization of the CCLOAs and the issuance of individual titles, the regional director said the beneficiaries will be installed on their designated lots, thereby improving land tenure security and assert their rightful ownership of the land.

The said distribution of e-titles will be done simultaneously with the signing into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which condones debts and financial liabilities of some 610,054 ARBs worth over P58 billion.