Some 2,240 residential and agricultural patents or land titles covering 47 hectares were distributed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here last year, benefitting well over 11,200 landless farmers and their families in Central Luzon to address social equity and poverty in rural areas, environment authorities reported.

 

Paquito Moreno, Jr., DENR executive director in Region 3, said the massive rollout of the 'Handog Titulo' program was part of the improved land administration and management program, which was among the major thrusts of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu.

 

“Our land titles or patents provide protection on our property rights and guarantee security to the land we occupy,” he said, adding that the DENR’s land distribution program plays a critical role in the economic development and poverty alleviation efforts in the region.

 

Ricky Hernandez, chief of the regional office Licenses, Patents and Deeds Division (LPDD) added that apart from the agricultural and residential patents, the DENR also distributed 407 miscellaneous patents for commercial and industrial purposes, while another 22 special patents were already issued for public schools, local government offices and quasi-public use.

 

Moreno stressed that upholding land rights and distributing free patents that provide security of tenure enable residents of Central Luzon to improved their lives.

 

“With effective land administration system, land can serve as an important asset for poverty reduction and economic development. Our patent is an absolute proof of one’s ownership of land. Let us make our lands more productive to maximize the benefits offered in the free patents,” he ended.

 

Since 2011, the land distribution program of DENR has benefitted around 320,000 landless farmers and their families from the issuance of 66,959 land titles covering 20,899 hectares in the region.

 

The DENR here is set to distribute 1,725 land titles this year, which will potentially benefit more than 5,000 residents in Central Luzon. (-30-)