By Christine Cudis/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has ordered the release of the duplicate copies of the original titles to farmer-beneficiaries of the Agrarian Reform Program even to those who have pending amortization.
In a statement on Friday, the DAR, through Administrative Order (AO) 5, Series of 2019, states that all owner’s duplicate copies of registered certificates of land ownership awards (CLOA) and emancipation patents (EP) “shall not be pledged or placed in the custody of another entity, pending the full payment of the amortizations of the land.”
Instead, these titles “shall be released immediately by the provincial agrarian reform office to the farmer-beneficiaries upon registration and receipt thereof from the Register of Deeds,” the DAR statement read.
Prior to the AO, the original owner’s duplicate copies of the CLOAs and EPs were required to be surrendered to the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) which served as the mortgagee-bank.
Lands awarded by the government shall be paid by agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to the LBP in 30 annual amortizations at 6 percent interest per annum.
However, many ARBs feel that full control over their awarded lands and exercise of their rights as owners “remain illusory” because of their non-possession of the actual and physical titles.
The AO cites the requirement of the original of the owner’s duplicate copies of land titles by some banks and financial institutions as security for loans, as one of the problems encountered by the ARBs.
The new AO intends to fulfill the spirit of the comprehensive agrarian reform program and uplift the lives of the agency’s ARBs.
“Releasing (the titles) to the farmer-beneficiaries could mean greater economic liberty or freedom to engage in productive ventures and collaboration,” the DAR said.
The DAR has been active in awarding CLOAs and in fact, has set an all-time high record of 60,000 hectares of land distributed with CLOA in 2018, exceeding their projected target by 20,000 hectares more.
This year, the agency targets a bigger number of beneficiaries, as well as a more sustainable livelihood for the farmers.
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