The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in the Mimaropa region is set to complete the distribution of agricultural lands to landless farmers in Romblon province within the next few months under the department's Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. DAR Mimaropa Regional Director Atty. Marvin Bernal announced this during Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas on Tuesday, June 25.
He added that Marinduque is the first province in Mimaropa to be declared a land acquisition and distribution (LAD)-free province. Following their example, DAR Romblon is now focusing on distributing the remaining lands to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).
Bernal mentioned that DAR Romblon is processing the paperwork for 73 hectares of land under the Villar Estate in Barangay Agojo, Looc, Romblon, which will be distributed to about 38 ARBs.
“May mga kunting lupain pa pong natitira jan at sa mga susunod na buwan asahan natin na ito ay maipapamahagi na sa ating mga kwalipikadong ARBs. Nitong nakaraan lamang ay nag-usap kami ni PARO Camilo Pacquing [ng Romblon] kung saan merong isang lupain na tinatawag niyang Villar Estate na nasa distribution stage na,” Atty. Bernal said in Tagalog.
“Hinihintay nalang ‘yung certificate of deposit ng Landbank na patunay na ang lupang ‘yun ay may nakadeposito nang salapi bilang bayad sa lupang ito. Pagkatapos niyan ay magkakaroon na ng registration ng titles at distribution ng titles,” Bernal added.
Bernal said that only the provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro and Palawan had lands that needed to be validated and distributed.
“Ang lalawigan nalang ng Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro at Palawan ang tinatawag naming may lot balance at may mga malalaking lupain pang puwedeng ipagkaloob sa CARP. Ayon na rin sa direktiba ng ating kalihim, marami pa po tayong nadiskobreng lupain na puwede pang ipagkaloob ng programa at ito ay nabigyan na ng notice of coverage kaso nga lang may mga pending cases pa,” Bernal said.
More than 7K lot titles were distributed to ARBs in Mimaropa during the PBBM admin
During the same forum, Bernal shared that approximately 7,284 land titles have been distributed in the Mimaropa region, covering 8,346.83 hectares and benefiting 7,166 recipients since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office.
Of these titles, 925 were Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA), and 6,359 were electronic titles (e-titles) under the Project Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT).
According to DAR, SPLIT is the “final chapter of the longest-running Agrarian Reform Program,” which aims to cover 5 million hectares of land for nearly 3 million ARBs nationwide.
“Kami po sa Mimaropa region ay tumutugon sa lahat ng mga hamon upang iangat ang pamumuhay ng ating mga marilatang magsasaka sa pamamagitan ng mahusay at tunay na pag-implemente ng programang Agrarian Reform dito sa kapuluan ng Mimaropa,” Bernal concluded.
