DAR splits ARB’s collectively- owned lots to individual titles

By Caren Grace R. Cabanayan

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union -- The Dept. of Agrarian Reform, through the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project, will subdivide collectively-awarded lands to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) to provide them with individual titles.
    DAR targets to parcelize a total of 185 land holdings in La Union covering 1,438 hectares of land while six SPLIT Project Team composed of five personnel will be hired in the province.
    This SPLIT Project is funded by the World Bank which aims to fast-track the land subdivision or parcelization of the Collective Certificates of Land Ownership Award given among agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs).
     “The objective of this project is to improve the land tenure security and strengthen the rights of agrarian reform beneficiaries,” said DAR regional director Primo Lara during a radio interview over PIA’s Tugtugan at Balitaan.
    Lara added, “We have to parcelize the collective title so that our ARBs included in that collective title would know the exact land area and exact location of the property, improving their land tenure security.”
    The individual land titles would be processed and issued for free.
    Upon parcelization, DAR will extend technical assistance and support services among the ARBs to help them cultivate their lands.  
    Lara said the project is not only geared on the parcelization per se but as well as on uplifting the economic status of farmer-beneficiaries.
    He also cited that this project would also be beneficial to the economy as it would increase revenues and would create numerous employment opportunities.
    “Magkakaroon na rin sila ng payment of real property tax. In that way, this project would also improve the revenue of their respective municipalities since the local government will collect their taxes,” he said.
    “We will be filling up positions for the SPLIT Project Team which includes legal officers, geodetic engineers and document processors,” he said. -- PIA La Union