Nearly 10,000 Bicol farmers receive land titles, P418M in debt relief

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAR REGIONAL OFFICE V

LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY, Philippines — Nearly 10,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the Bicol region received land ownership documents and debt condonation certificates during a distribution ceremony on Tuesday at the Ibalong Centrum for Recreation here.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) distributed 11,247 documents, consisting of 450 land titles and 10,797 Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROMs), benefiting 9,920 farmers and covering 15,533.93 hectares of agricultural land.

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DAR Bicol director Rodrigo Realubit said the initiative is part of efforts to strengthen land tenure security and support ARBs in the region.

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READ: DAR wipes out P800M in farmers’ debts in Eastern Visayas

Of the 450 land titles, the second district of Camarines Sur accounted for the most with 234, followed by the first district of Camarines Sur with 110, Albay with 40, Camarines Norte with 30, Masbate with 21, Catanduanes with nine, and Sorsogon with six.

For the debt relief component, Albay topped the list with 2,821 COCROMs, followed by the first district of Camarines Sur with 2,202, Masbate with 2,152, the second district of Camarines Sur with 1,504, Sorsogon with 1,079, Camarines Norte with 1,036, and Catanduanes with three.

READ: More than 6,000 Eastern Visayas farmers now landowners

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The COCROMs represent the condonation of P418,204,839.93 in unpaid agrarian reform loans under Republic Act No. 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, signed in 2023.

In addition to land distribution and debt relief, DAR also turned over three farm-to-market roads in the municipalities of Polangui, Libon and Oas in Albay, benefiting 1,243 ARBs and serving an estimated 11,000 residents.

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Albay 3rd District Rep. Adrian Salceda said the infrastructure projects would help farmers bring their produce to market in the fastest way without spending, whereas the karriada contribute much to post-harvest costs considering the distance from farm to market.

The agency also said 51 ARB organizations received farm implements, machinery and equipment under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project aimed at improving productivity and strengthening resilience against climate-related risks.

DAR Undersecretary for Field Operations Kazel Celeste said the program reflects a shared achievement between the government and farmers.

“This achievement is not only a victory for the DAR but also a victory for our agrarian reform beneficiaries and every Filipino family,” Celeste said.

She also highlighted the role of farmers in food production.

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“We cannot afford to lose you. You are more than farmers—you are the people who bring life and nourishment to every Filipino home and to the nation,” she added. /cb