Ilocos farmers receive huge boost

Thousands of farmers across the Ilocos Region received land titles and millions of pesos in debt relief Tuesday as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) concluded its 2025 regional distribution program.

DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III and regional director Maria Ana Francisco led the distribution of individual e-titles, land ownership certificates, and debt condonation papers to beneficiaries from Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan.

The initiative cleared more than P13.7 million in unpaid land amortization for 799 farmers through 911 Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage. Regionally, the DAR has condoned P64.78 million in land-related debt between 2024 and 2025, according to agency records.

Estrella stressed the importance of self-sufficiency for the nation.

“Let us continue the work of farmers so that we do not go hungry and do not have to depend on other nations,” Estrella said.

As part of the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project, the agency awarded 775 individual e-titles to 677 beneficiaries, covering nearly 718 hectares. An additional 96 ownership certificates were issued for 115 hectares under the regular land acquisition program.

Beyond land tenure, the department distributed P4 million worth of certified seeds to 12,853 farmers whose crops were damaged by typhoon “Uwan” earlier this year.

The distribution marks the year-end accomplishment of the Land Tenure Security Program and the Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Development and Sustainability Program. DAR officials said the individual titles are intended to help farmers access credit and government services more easily.

Regional officials, including provincial agrarian reform officers from the four provinces, attended the ceremony to manifest continued support for the program heading into 2026.