DENR grants free patents to landless farmers in Bulacan

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recently awarded a total of 138 land titles, covering approximately 90 hectares of public lands, to the landless farmers of Bulacan.

In a speech before the Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center in Malolos, Regidor De Leon, Executive Director of DENR in Central Luzon stressed that the distribution of the land titles to the marginalized farmers is one of the governmentís humble contribution in promoting social justice and alleviating poverty in the rural areas. As such, providing these farmers the security of ownership over the land they till would definitely improve their present socio-economic conditions. The farmers, who are now motivated to fully develop their farms because this lands titles, may use their newly-acquired properties as collateral when applying for loans.

The DENR has distributed a total of 1, 538 patents covering about 400 hectares of public lands in the province of Bulacan alone, since January of this year, and is set to distribute another 1,263 patents covering 780 hectares of public lands before the end of the year.

"Masayang masaya ako dahil sa wakas ay nabigyan na rin ng titulo ang lupang aming sinasaka. Ngayon ay hindi na ako kinakabahan na mawawala pa itong lupang aming pinakikinabangan at pinaghirapan. Mapapayabong ko pa ito ng mabuti. Salamat sa DENR sa maaga nilang pamasko sa amin", said Amelia Ramos, 68, resident of Plaridel, Bulacan and one of the fortunate beneficiaries of the DENR "Handog Titulo" program, who expressed her happiness and gratitude after receiving her land title covering about 1,000 square meters, saying that she has no fear anymore of losing the land that she till and that she can now even fully develop it according to her own desire.

Pat Laderas, Board member of Bulacan, expressed his gratitude for the support of the National Government to the province of Bulacan especially the Handog Titulo program of the DENR. According to him, the Local Government Units (LGUs) of Bulacan shall continue its legislative support to the various program of the National Government especially the above-mentioned program.

Deputy Director for Land Management Leonardo Aggabao claimed that the DENR already distributed a total of 30,121 patents covering about 19,912 hectares of public lands throughout Central Luzon since 1999, thereby benefiting over 150,000 landless farmers.

He explained that farmer beneficiaries, or their legitimate heirs must be in actual and continuous occupancy of public alienable or disposable land for at least 30 years to qualify for the "free patent" program. And once qualified, a land title will be awarded for free, but are under obligation to pay real estate taxes to the government.

The DENR is set to distribute 2,561 land patents covering about 3,245 hectares of agricultural lands before the end of this year as aligned with President Arroyo’s anti-poverty program in the countryside and are in support of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).