Free land titling to address Maguindanao land conflicts

COTABATO CITY: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ( DENRARMM) started surveying lands in preparation for the free distri affected towns in Maguindanao.

- vey as a vital tool in settling land disputes in the province.

The DENR-ARMM’s P42-million free land titling and survey project was formally launched recently in Rajah Buayan, one of the 15 municipalities that will

“Land dispute hinders development. This project will provide bigger opportunities for our people,” Mayor Datu Zamzamin Ampatuan of Rajah Buayan said.

DENR-ARMM Secretary Kahal Kedtag said the massive distribu- tion of land titles will also help in progress in the province.

The project is under the region’s Humanitarian Development and Assistance Program (HDAP) under Gov. Mujiv Hataman that aims to set demarcations on pieces of property of landowners in the region.

In 2016, the region granted a total of 1,800 hectares of land within the SPMS Box that includes Shariff Aguak, Pagatin, Mamasapano and Salibo.

The SPMS Box is under the close military watch and being developed into productive areas.

The department is also gearing up to completely distribute the 4,500 hectares of land to target barangay (villages) in the 15 target municipalities.