DAR gives 14.7K land titles, condones loans

By Connie Calipay

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Agrarian Reform-Bicol (DAR-5) distributed on Friday more than 14,700 land titles and Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROM) to farmers in the two Camarines provinces at Fuerte Camsur Sports Complex in Pili, Camarines Sur.

In a statement, DAR-5 Director Reuben Theodore Sindac said a total of 14,757 combined titles and COCROMs were given to 12,266 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) under the Camarines Sur I and Camarines Sur II offices, and in Camarines Norte province covering a total of 19,285.2428 hectares of land.

“The government allocated PHP391.73 million condonation amount for this next batch of COCROM distribution in the region with 14,079 certificates to be issued to 11,641 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) condoning all their principal loans, unpaid amortization, and interests covering 18,247 hectares of land. A total of 678 land titles were distributed to 625 ARBs from the said provinces, covering 1,038.1715 hectares of land,” he said.

Sindac said the land titles include electronic land titles (e-titles) under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project benefiting 345 ARBs and encompassing 648.6892 hectares of land, and regular titles or the Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA), benefiting 269 ARBs and covering 381.6927 hectares of agricultural land.

“Additionally, there are also 13 government-owned land titles to be distributed, benefiting 11 ARBs and covering 7.7896 hectares of agricultural land,” he said.

Sindac said the event highlighted the current administration’s goal to expedite the distribution of land titles and uplift the lives of the farmer-beneficiaries through the issuance of the COCROM following the implementation of Republic Act 11953, the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, signed on July 7, 2023 by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PNA)

Manide Tribe Celebration: Members of the Manide tribe in Paracale, Camarines Norte, receive Noche Buena packs and school supplies distributed by volunteers and local police officers. Rhaydz B. Barcia