The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) reported that more than 29,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Region XII received land titles and debt relief during a regionwide ceremonial distribution held on 18 December at the South Cotabato Gym and Cultural Center.

According to DAR, the activity benefited 29,382 ARBs across the SOCCSKSARGEN region and forms part of the agency’s efforts to meet its 300,000-hectare land distribution target for 2025, as directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr..

During the ceremony, DAR distributed 28,633 land titles, including electronic titles, Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs), and Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (CoCRoMs), covering a total of 63,454.4955 hectares. The department also granted P832.29 million in debt condonation, clearing unpaid land amortizations incurred by farmer-beneficiaries.

DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III, who led the distribution, said the Region XII rollout is part of a broader national program to complete land distribution targets within the year.

“We are distributing land titles across the country in line with the President’s directive for DAR to distribute about 300,000 hectares this year. What we are doing here in Region XII is part of that national effort,” Estrella said.

He added that secure land tenure and debt relief help farmers invest more confidently in their farms and livelihoods, strengthening the agricultural sector.

For beneficiaries, the distribution marked the end of years—often decades—of waiting. Maria Lina Raposa, an ARB from South Cotabato, said receiving her land title was a long-awaited milestone.

“This is a dream we waited for a long time to come true. I will take good care of this land and make sure it is preserved so that I can pass it on to the next generation,” Raposa said.

Hilario Castillo, an ARB from Sultan Kudarat, echoed the sentiment, noting that the land title finally brought certainty after 25 years.

“After 25 years of waiting, we are finally assured that the land we have been tilling truly belongs to us,” Castillo said.

DAR said the Region XII distribution underscores the government’s continuing agrarian reform efforts, aimed at improving land security, rural productivity, and long-term food security by placing farmers at the center of development initiatives.