DAR grants P9-M debt relief to 32 beneficiaries in Mindoro Occidental

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) granted over P9.2 million in debt relief to 32 agrarian reform beneficiaries in Mindoro Occidental with the distribution of 51 Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROMs).

In a statement released Tuesday, the DAR said the beneficiaries are from remote farming communities in Sablayan town.

"Through the DAR-to-Door initiative, the DAR personally delivered land titles and debt relief assistance to agrarian reform beneficiaries in Barangay Tuban, eliminating the need for many farmers to travel to government offices to receive these services," the agency said.

According to DAR, the grant of debt relief is in accordance with Republic Act 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which condones all unpaid principal debt, interest, and penalties on land awarded to agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, five beneficiaries received electronic land titles (e-titles) covering a total of 10.0359 hectares under the agency's Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project.

DAR expects the issuance of individual titles to give farmers "stronger security over the lands they cultivate and greater confidence to invest in their farms."

The SPLIT Project is a government initiative aimed at subdividing about 1.38 million hectares of collective land titles into individual land titles.

In 2024, DAR Undersecretary Kazel Celeste had said the project was scheduled to end that year, but DAR was pushing for a two-year extension. — VDV, GMA News