The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) 13 (Caraga Region) facilitated the release of electronic land titles (e-titles) to 4,342 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) covering about 10,130.41 hectares of land, during an activity in Tandag City on Tuesday.

DAR Undersecretary Kazel Celeste spearheaded the release of the titles, joined by DAR-13 Director Merlita Capinpuyan.

Aside from e-titles, 373 ARBs also received regular land titles totaling 507.90 hectares through DAR’s Regular Land Acquisition and Distribution program.

Marife Maratos, 54, an ARB from Barangay Roxas, Tubajon, Dinagat Islands, expressed gratitude for her e-title.

“The government, through the DAR, has shown its care for us farmers. Now, my family is proud of owning this 2.5 hectares of land with the title given to us,” Maratos said.

She also recognized the DAR’s Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) program, which was instrumental in processing and releasing their e-title.

Another ARB, Joseph Songodanan, 56, from Tagabaka, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, said his family has been tilling the three-hectare land that was part of a collective land title previously issued by the DAR.

“Through the Project SPLIT of DAR, my family can secure a separate land title. We are thankful to the government through the DAR,” he said.

DAR-13 also handed over Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROMs) to 6,167 ARBs, amounting to PHP423.6 million covering 11,727.10 hectares of land.

The COCROM is issued under Republic Act 11953 (New Agrarian Emancipation Act), signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in July 2023. The law condones all unpaid amortizations, interests, and penalties incurred by ARBs for lands awarded under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. (PNA)