The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here has awarded to the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) of the Department of National Defense a special patent for the historic 50-hectare Capas National Shrine in the province of Tarlac.

 

DENR Undersecretary for Legal, Administration, Human Resources and Legislative Affairs Atty. Ernesto Adobo, Jr., along with DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno, Jr., DENR provincial chief Celia Esteban, Capas Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer Gerundio Fernandez, and Tarlac Governor Susan Yap, personally handed the special patent to PVAO Administrator Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina during the Gawad Titulo program held at Capas National Shrine.

 

In his message, Adobo noted that the awarding of the said special patent concurred to the marching order of DENR Acting Secretary Jim Sampulna to prioritize the issuance of land titles to all military, naval and air force military camps and reservations.

 

“Through this special patent, we are helping our fellow public servants from the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to achieve their mission of winning lasting peace for sustainable development by protecting their military camps from illegal occupation and adverse claims of ownership,” Adobo said.

 

The activity is part of the massive rollout of the Handog Titulo program, a fundamental component of the DENR’s thrust to improve land administration and management.

 

Moreno added that the special patent would also be fundamental in strengthening and sustaining the government’s greening programs, particularly in conserving 31,000 trees planted within the Capas National Shrine that symbolize 25,000 Filipinos and 6,000 Americans who died in the concentration camp.

 

For his part, PVAO Administrator Carolina expressed his gratitude to the DENR noting that the newly-awarded special patent institutes security not only to the memorial itself, but to chronicles of heroism and nationalism that transpire in the Pambansang Dambana ng Capas.

 

Tarlac Governor Susan Yap also thanked the DENR for its efforts in facilitating the processing of the land title that would be instrumental in strengthening their programs to promote sustainable tourism through history appreciation.

 

The Capas National Shrine is a memorial built by the Philippine government in Barangay Aranguren, Capas Tarlac in honor of all the Filipino and American soldiers who endured the Bataan Death March. It embodies chronicles of heroism and valor that bring fruition to Philippine freedom and democracy.

 

From Mariveles and Bagac in Bataan, around 60,000 to 80,000 Filipino and American prisoners-of-war walked to San Fernando Train Station in Pampanga, where they were cramped into boxcars and transported to Capas Train Station in Tarlac, from which they walked to Camp O’Donnell—the final stop of the brutal march by the Imperial Japanese Army.

 

By virtue of Proclamation No. 842, President Corazon Aquino proclaimed Camp O-Donnell as the Capas National Shrine on December 7, 1991. (-30-)