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| Forty agrarian reform beneficiaries receive individual land titles through SPLIT project in San Jorge, Samar. Photo: DAR-8/Facebook |
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) brought jubilation to the farming community of San Jorge, Samar, as forty agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) were presented with their individual land titles last month.
This significant milestone was achieved by implementing the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project, which aimed to strengthen property rights and grant landownership to deserving ARBs.
Among the recipients was Armando Fabillar, who expressed deep gratitude to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and the DAR for making their dreams of land ownership come true. Fabillar, a dedicated farmer and father of two, had previously received a collective Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) in 1992. With the issuance of a land title covering a 2.5-hectare plot, Fabillar can now savor the feeling of being a true landowner.
To ensure the security of tenure for ARBs and enhance landownership, the DAR embarked on the subdivision of lands covered by collective CLOAs, enabling the issuance of individual land titles through the SPLIT project.
The distribution ceremony took place on May 11 at the municipal covered court in San Jorge, led by Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO II) Alfonso Catorce. During the event, Catorce emphasized the importance of the awarded lots acquired under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and urged the ARBs to refrain from selling their properties.
To further support the ARBs, PARPO I Segundino Pagliawan advised them to join agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) in their area. These organizations provide avenues for ARBs to access various assistance programs tailored to their specific needs, helping them maximize the benefits of land ownership.
The 40 e-CLOAs, covering an aggregate area of 70.5 hectares, are situated across six barangays: Lapaz, Rosalim, Sinibaran, Sapinit, Bulao, and Mabuhay. This monumental land distribution initiative aligns with the government's commitment to fast-track the issuance of individual titles to ARBs under the World Bank-funded SPLIT project, following the president's directive to Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III.
Vice Mayor Jay Bisnar, who graced the occasion, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the DAR for their unwavering support in San Jorge and throughout the province. Acknowledging the broader implications, Catorce emphasized that land distributiois pivotalle in the government's pursuit of inclusive and sustainable peace through the End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) initiative.
With individual land titles in their possession, the ARBs of San Jorge can now look forward to a brighter future and actively contribute to the development and prosperity of their communities. —iTacloban (Source: DAR-8)