N. Cotabato evacuees get land titles

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has awarded 417 land titles covering 1,413 hectares of public land to mostly Muslim families who evacuated from the Buliok complex in Pikit, North Cotabato at the height of hostilities between military and Moro separatist forces.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Elisea Gozun said the grant of land titles is part of her department’s commitment to President Arroyo’s "Mindanao Natin" program.

The latest tranche of land titles brings to 3,839 the total number of land patents covering some 10,922 hectares granted in Region 12 (Northern Mindanao), with the DENR office there leading the 12 other regional offices in terms of land distribution.

Gozun said the issue of land is at the core of the Mindanao conflict, which makes land acquisition a vital component of the Arroyo administration’s agenda for Mindanao.

Last July, Gozun issued Department Administrative Order (DAO) 2003-15 turning over to the DENR’s regional field offices the authority to approve land patent and homestead applications covering up to 10 hectares in order to fast-track the government’s land distribution program. — Pamela Samia