Marcos vows to give more land titles
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, February 7, said he intends to double the number of land titles that will be distributed to agrarian reform beneficiaries this year.
The President made the promise during the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) distribution of around 2,529 land electronic titles (e-titles) benefitting 2,672 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Davao Region in a ceremony at the Rizal Memorial College Gym in Davao City.
In his speech, Marcos said he wants the government to double the 90,000 distributed titles last year as he aims to complete the distribution of land titles under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) before his term ends.
“I am expecting that this will increase or double this 2024. The more than 2,000 titles distributed here in Davao is a good start, and this is just the start for the year 2024,” the President said.
“I aim to complete the distribution of lands under the CARP before my term ends, so I am happy that DAR is diligently giving out the titles,” he added.
Marcos said his administration will take a “whole-of-government” approach to address the needs of the farmers.
“It is heartbreaking to see that the poorest in our country are our farmers. You feed us, but you can’t feed your families,” he said.
The President said the distribution of land titles to ARBs is just the first step in lifting them out of poverty, saying the government would exhaust all efforts to ease the farmers’ burden.
He also asked the private sector to help the government in providing better incentives to farmers.
“I will continue and further improve the genuine agrarian reform,” Marcos said. “We will no longer accept that the most difficult occupation is farming. It’s really difficult. No matter what we do, farming is difficult. Our farmers need help, all the help the government can provide.”
The event was held amid the implementation of the DAR’s Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (Split) Project, which is anchored on improving land tenure security and strengthening the property rights of ARBs.
A foreign-assisted initiative launched in 2020, the Split Project covers around 1.6 million hectares of land benefitting some 1.5 million ARBs nationwide, based on a statement posted on the DAR’s official website.
To date, the DAR has issued and distributed about 91,775 e-titles covering 109,199 hectares of land and benefitting 98,203 ARBs.
Marcos earlier signed the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which benefits 610,054 Filipino farmers tilling over 1.7 million hectares of agrarian reform lands, making them debt-free from P57.65 billion of agrarian arrears.
Meanwhile, Marcos assured the provision of other assistance to Filipino farmers including the free seedlings, fertilizers and other agricultural equipment, and constructing more agricultural infrastructures.
“Additional infrastructures are needed, so we are building warehouses and roads from farms to market,” the President said.
“So that you don’t struggle to bring your harvest from your farm to the market, so that the price is also low, our farmer will earn more. So I invite you all to work together in promoting the welfare of our farmers,” he added.