DAR delivers land titles, debt relief to Ilocos farmers before yearend

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) rolled out a regionwide distribution of land titles, debt relief certificates, and agricultural inputs in the Ilocos Region, extending both immediate assistance and long-term economic support to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) as the year draws to a close.

Led by DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III and Regional Director Maria Ana V. Francisco, the activity benefited farmers from Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan. The initiative aimed to strengthen land tenure security, ease financial obligations, and improve farm productivity through the implementation of key agrarian reform programs in 2025.

The distribution covered individual e-titles under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project, Emancipation Patents and Certificates of Land Ownership Award (EPs/CLOAs), Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROMs), and agricultural inputs for typhoon-affected farmers.

In a message delivered in Ilokano, Estrella underscored the central role of farmers in sustaining national food security, urging beneficiaries to continue agricultural production to avoid dependence on food imports.

Under the SPLIT Project, DAR awarded 775 individual e-titles to 677 beneficiaries, covering 717.7672 hectares of agricultural land. These titles grant full ownership rights, enabling farmers to access credit, government services, and investment opportunities.

Through the Regular Land Acquisition and Distribution program, 81 ARBs received 96 EPs/CLOAs, securing ownership of 115.1294 hectares of farmland.

DAR Region I also issued 911 COCROMs to 799 ARBs, condoning more than P13.7 million in unpaid land amortizations covering 670.69 hectares. From 2024 to 2025, total debt condonation in the region reached P64.78 million, benefiting 3,840 ARBs and relieving farmers of long-standing financial burdens.

To support recovery from recent weather disturbances, DAR distributed P4 million worth of certified seeds to 12,853 ARBs affected by Typhoon Uwan, helping them resume planting and protect their livelihoods.

Regional officials present during the activity included OIC-Assistant Regional Director Engr. Nestor Pagaduan, Assistant Regional Director Engr. Vic Ines, and provincial agrarian reform officers from the four Ilocos provinces.

As 2025 comes to a close, DAR Region I reiterated its commitment to advancing comprehensive agrarian reform, improving service delivery, and uplifting farming communities across Northern Luzon.