DENR hands 188 titles

To farmers in Trinidad

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol April 23 (PIA) – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) brought in a heave of lasting relief to Trinidadnons as the government environment agency handed to 188 land owners the proof of ownership of the land they have been tilling or occupying

Regional Executive Director Paquito Melicor, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Charlie Fabre and its Community Environment and Natural Resources Officers in Tagbilaran Ariel Rica and Talibon’s Elpidio Palaca along with support staff led the distribution of some 188 free patent titles to Trinidad residents in simple ceremonies during the Bohol service Caravan in San Vicente Trinidad, Bohol, April 17.

Held at the Panaghiusa Elementary School grounds, Melicor, during the distribution of titles, explained that the patents they distribute are lands of public domains which have been classified as alienable and disposable.

Alienable and disposable lands are those lands declared as needed for forests, parks and mining purposes, and would rather be turned into agricultural lands to help the country’s food production.

In Trinidad area, we have about 14,000 hectares of untitled alienable and disposable properties, and about 5,362 of them have been titled. We have a balance of about 4,442 that are still untitled, explained PENRO Charlie Fabre in the sidelines of the government services caravan, minutes before the distribution.

The balance can even increase, when the titled lots are given to the heirs, and now that the DENR has programmed free surveys, many are not allowing the chance to pass, he added.

Those Trinidad residents who got granted their agricultural free patents have been proven to have actual occupation and cultivation of these lots for at least 30 years and have been paying for the assessed real property taxes for these same lots.

With the free surveys and the with the governments Agricultural Free Patent Law which encouraged people to file their applications for titles until December last year, people who have neglecting the land claims their ancestors have stated, responded and so we have activities like this, added CENRO Palaca, whose area includes Trinidad.

To date, while the DENR has suspended the acceptance of Agricultural Free Patent Applications with the December deadline, a law is now being passed sponsored by Bohol Representative Edgar Chatto and a Senate version By Senator Edgardo Angara, for an extension, the plan is to totally take out any more time proscription, so farmers can always apply for titles anytime, according to Penro Fabre.

And as the new bill seeking for the extension of the free patent law, the DENR assures that processing and release of agricultural patents would not take more than 120 days.

According to Fabre, Bohol still has 307,047 lots that are potential for titles, and as Bohol Provincial Government has put up funds for continued titling services, more and more farmers would benefit when the Free Patent extension is approved.

For her part, Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes thanked the government for finally granting the titles to people and families who have waited for over three decades to get the legal rights to the land they have been on.

“Our success now, is due to the people who are working,” even as she highlights “unity and cooperation to achieve victory and development.”

Both the DENR and the Department of Agrarian Reform distributed land titles to the people of Trinidad and Talibon, on that same day. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

UNITY AND COOPERATION. Trinidad Mayor conveyed her appreciation to the DENR and DAR for giving the land titles which the people have sought for and waited for three long decades. The DENR distributed 188 Free Patent titles while the DAR also gave out 66 Certificates of land Ownership Awards to over 100 hectares of land from the Bohol Cattle Corporation. (rachiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

FARMERS GET FREE PATENTS. For occupying and cultivating the untitled and alienable and disposable lands for over 30 years, these farmers from Trinidad can now legally claim ownership to their lands as the DENR continues to lobby for the extension of Agricultural Free Patents titling so more farmers would get their titles and help the country it attaining food security as food producers. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)