The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Negros Occidental-I here has stepped up efforts to provide individual titles to farmer-beneficiaries in the northern part of the province under the Project SPLIT or Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling to improve land tenure security and stabilize property rights.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Joji Flores, component coordinator of SPLIT Task Force, said in a statement on Thursday their goal is to reach the farthest part of their coverage area.

“We are here to evaluate our previous steps and innovate better ways to be of service to many through the continued implementation of SPLIT,” Flores added.

Part of the initiatives is the cascading of Administrative Order 1, series of 2021 or the “Revised Guidelines and Procedures on the Parcelization of Landholdings with Collective Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CCLOA)” held on Wednesday at O’ Hotel here.

“It is a good venue for us to fully understand the implementation of Project SPLIT and be updated on the new strategies we can use to equip our teams as we continue working together in reaching our target for 2023,” DAR NegOcc 1 Chief Administrative Officer Ma. Corazon Mondia said.

The issuance of the individual titles follows the completion of the validation process in the area, where identified beneficiaries affirmed their occupancy and tilling of the land.

In the north, already validated in November last year were 250 hectares of agricultural lands, including 181.27 hectares in Silay City; 38.59 hectares in Murcia; 15.84 hectares in Cadiz City; and 14.48 hectares in Escalante City.

Last December, the DAR-Negros Occidental also conducted a validation of 41 hectares of land in Barangay Udtongan, Escalante City that will be subdivided for 27 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).

In Murcia, the 38.59 hectares were also subject to titling for 38 individuals while the 14.48 hectares in Escalante City are for 13 farmer-beneficiaries.

These lands have been initially covered by the CCLOAs, which prevents the farmers from making the land productive.

The SPLIT project aims to subdivide the lands previously given to the ARBs through CCLOAs, which would eventually be re-awarded through individual titles to the farmers. (PNA)