Over 1.8K landowners in Region 8 receive Free Patents

By PURIFICACION S. DALOOS
April 15, 2007

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  Dreams fulfilled. Brighter prospects for the future.

These in essence, sum up the feelings and thoughts of jubilant land owners in Region 8 who have finally received Free Patents as absolute proof of ownership over their lands.

In a span of only three months, covering the first quarter of 2007, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources through its Land Management Service, has distributed a total of 1,872 Free Patents to qualified land owners in 78 barangays in Eastern Visayas. This covers an aggregate of 1,694.5259 hectares in four Eastern Visayas towns.

The town of Bontoc in Southern Leyte had the most number of Free Patent recipients with 660 beneficiaries owning up an aggregate of 670.7988 hectares distributed in 25 barangays. In Calbayog City, Samar. 484 Free Patents were distributed with an area of 587.2651 hectares. The island municipality of Guiuan in Eastern Samar also had Free Patent recipients totaling 445, including its Municipal Mayor Anna Liza Gonzales-Kwan. Some 283 Free Patents were likewise given to landowners in Tarangnan, Samar covering 134.1388 hectares.

“This is a memorable event, because the ownership of the lands by all beneficiaries will now be absolute,” testified Guiuan Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan during the Handog Titulo Program held in their town on February 27, 2007.  “As a beneficiary, I am happy because my ownership of the land is absolute, not just for taxation purposes.  This provides us hope for the future,” said Mayor Kwan.

Other beneficiaries of the Handog Titulo Program shared the happiness of Mayor Kwan. A recipient of seven (7) Free Patents, Mr. Arturo Moreno, 72 years old of Tarangnan, Samar, said he was trying to control his happiness that his dream of having titles to his properties has finally been realized, fearing that his being overjoyed might affect his blood pressure and the condition of his heart.  He shared his story that he bought parcels of land in the ‘70s for only P150.00 per parcel. Then in 2002, employees of the DENR went to their place to accept applications for land titling. He paid P250.00 for each parcel of land, and now he holds in his hands seven (7) Free Patents for his properties in barangays Bangon, Balugo, Canongan, Imelda and Pajo, all in Tarangnan, Samar. He thanked the DENR as well as their municipal mayor for helping make his dream a reality.

In Bontoc, So. Leyte, Florencio Espiritu, 73 years old of Brgy. Union, said he is happy to finally receive the title ten years after their lot was surveyed.  As long as he lives, he vows to cultivate the land to make it productive and does not have plans to sell the said land.  He also said he will religiously pay the taxes due his land. He expressed his desire to have another lot in Brgy. Mauylab titled under the DENR’s program.

Deputized Public Land Inspectors and other field implementers of the Land Management Service continue to bring their services closer to the people by actually doing office in identified barangays where Free Patent Applications are being accepted thus saving time and money for the land owners.

“Before, land title applicants would go to our office to apply for title.  Now we see to it that land titling services will be delivered to your doorstep,” Lands Regional Technical Director Ramon Unay told the land owners in Bontoc, Southern Leyte.

Regional Executive Director Alfredo S. Pascual disclosed that DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes has issued an instruction to double the Department’s effort in the distribution of titles which is geared towards increasing farm productivity and reducing poverty in the countryside.