The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has launched the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project to address the longstanding problem of unclear land ownership among farmers under collective land awards.
In an interview on DZRH’s Special on Saturday (SOS), Asec. Rene Colocar, Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Office (FASPO) officer and concurrent Deputy PIO, explained that many farmers have faced confusion over which parcels belong to them due to multiple names listed on a single Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA).
This has made it difficult for both farmers to cultivate their lands and for local government units to collect taxes.
“Ang programa po ay nagsimula noong October 2020, Effectivity ng Loan Agreement,” Colocar said.
“Ang naging suliranin po ng kagawaran noong simula noong panahon 'yun ay ang higit na dami ng mga lupain na ipinamahagi sa ilalim ng collective cloa (Certificate of Land Ownership Award) strategy.”
To resolve this, DAR, through FASPO, partnered with the World Bank to develop the SPLIT project, which aims to convert collective land holdings into individual titles.
The program is expected to benefit 1.1 million farmers and continue until December 31, 2027. Colocar added that government counterpart funding has also been allocated to ensure the program’s continuity.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officers (MARPOs) play a key role in facilitating the project. They coordinate with the SPLIT team, local communities, and Barangay Agrarian Reform Councils to identify individual parcels and assist in delivering titles to the rightful owners.
“Sila po ang nakakaalam ng lahat ng mga lupain sa nasabing munisipyo o bayan. Sila po, kasama ang mga barangay agrarian reform council ay tulong-tulong po nilang ina-assist ang project SPLIT team sa pag-identify, pag-tukoy at pakikipag-usap sa lahat ng mga organisasyon at mga stakeholders na nasa community kung nasaan ang mga lupain na i-cocover sa parcelization,” the Asec explained.
Colocar emphasized that DAR is developing a three-year plan in advance to ensure all landholdings are assessed, parcelized, and addressed for any legal issues that could prevent the issuance of individual titles.
This includes resolving geodetic survey discrepancies and reconstructing missing documents.
“Right now, ang kagawaran ay nagde-develop ng isang product document to cover all the remaining collective CLOAs na hindi nasama sa unang programa para ma-cover at siguraduhin na walang maiiwang collective CLOA bago magpalit ng administration or pagkatapos,” Colocar said, noting that DAR is preparing additional funding and enhanced processes to cover remaining collective CLOAs.
The SPLIT program represents a significant step toward securing land rights for Filipino farmers and streamlining land ownership records nationwide.
