Palayan City, Nueva Ecija — Special processing lanes will soon be established in Nueva Ecija to fast-track the issuance of tax declarations and real property assessments for agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).

This initiative is part of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the provincial government.

DAR Assistant Secretary for Support Services James Arsenio Ponce said the special lanes—set to operate at the provincial, city, and municipal assessor’s offices—aim to accelerate document processing for lands distributed under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling or Project SPLIT.

“The streamlined processing will ease the burden of ARBs, as requirements have been significantly reduced,” Ponce said.

While real property taxes will still apply, Ponce noted that the transaction fees for securing tax declarations have been waived with the help of the provincial government.

He also stressed that a tax declaration serves as additional proof of land ownership for ARBs.

Vice Governor Gil Raymond Umali, who was present during the MOA signing, acknowledged the daily struggles of farmers, noting that delays, even in long queues, can impact their productivity and income.

“That’s why the provincial government is committed to streamlining processes, making them faster, more efficient, and more humane for farmers,” Umali said.

The partnership highlights DAR’s commitment to inter-agency collaboration, aiming to provide ARBs with a seamless transition from land recipients to titled landowners.

It also illustrates how local government units can help promote agrarian justice by supporting ARBs in complying with post-distribution legal and administrative requirements.