DAR Cordillera steps up digitization of land titles

BAGUIO CITY — The Department of Agrarian Reform in the Cordillera Administrative Region is stepping up the digitization of land records and geographic mapping through a four-day technical training in Baguio City.

The training, which runs until 2 October 2026 at Hotel Supreme, focuses on creating Geographic Information System shapefiles for Emancipation Patents, Certificates of Land Ownership Award and electronic titles.

Personnel from the regional and provincial offices are undergoing technical sessions on plotting land-title descriptions, calculating lot data using approved survey plans and converting records into digital shapefiles.

DAR Cordillera Assistant Regional Director for Operations Nelson Palaris said the initiative supports the department’s nationwide digitization program under Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III.

Palaris said converting land records into digital mapping data could improve transparency and make land information easier to manage and verify.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Raul Laluan urged participants to simplify technical mapping methods so non-technical personnel can better understand the data.

He also called on participants to complete as many records as possible before the end of the year.

The program includes coordination with the Registry of Deeds to standardize land records and align technical requirements between the two agencies.