MORE NEWS, KALINGA

1,500 Free Patent titles granted in Kalinga town
By Larry Lopez

TANUDAN, Kalinga – 1,500 Free Patent land titles have been approved and ready for distribution in this municipality under government's Handog Titulo program of the Land Registration Authority.

This is the third round of distribution this year by the Registry of Deeds of the province. Last February, 198 beneficiaries in Barangay Cudal of Tabuk City were distributed titles under the program, while another 150 families of Rizal municipality got their land titles last March.

Handog Titulo is part of government's project in providing land to the landless, through funds from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

The beneficiaries in Tanudan have applications still dated 1996 and were approved last 2007. Of the total number of beneficiaries, only 86 have so far claimed their titles.

As provided in the program, beneficiaries are able to register their titles with the ROD without payment of the P100 registration fee as it has been waived by the LRA, under this particular program.

Also, beneficiaries are issued land titles without being required to present tax clearances, which is required by law.

However, this provision of Handog Titulo does not exempt recipients from payment of back taxes on the land, if any and current taxes, as well.

Before a beneficiary could qualify for a Free Patent, he should have actual occupancy of the particular lot and have introduced improvements on it.
Under Handog Titulo, applicants can file applications with the Community Environment & Natural Resources Office and can wait for its approval from the PENRO, before they can register their titles with the ROD, in three months.

The processing of applications for Free Patent titles has been shortened, unlike before when approval comes from the regional level.

As provided in the conditions of the title, free patent titles, are not negotiable for loans and sale for a period of five years, upon issuance.