The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Mimaropa Regional Office spearheaded the distribution of Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROM) and electronic titles or Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to select Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) from various municipalities in Palawan today.
Through the COCROM, 1,187 ARBs were relieved of a collective debt amounting to ₱61,130,927.17, which stemmed from the amortization of the lands they received from the government.
Senator Imee Marcos, who led the distribution, expressed her gratitude that the COCROMs were finally released, noting their timeliness as Christmas approaches.
“Kaya masaya naman ako na sa wakas may magandang balita, December pa naman at sinasabing pamaskong handog, ito ang pinakamaganda kasi, ilang dekada rin nilang inantay ito,” Marcos said in an interview.
“Nagsimula ito noong 1972 so 52 years na nila inantay at sa wakas ayan, yung pangako ay naibigay na. Kasi sa kasamaang palad, matapos yung termino ng tatay ko, hindi na masyadong itinuloy yung pamimigay ng titulo samantalang yung mga magsasaka, talagang umaasa rito,” she elaborated.
She added that the program, initiated by her late father, President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., had been shelved but was revived during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“Noong nagkaroon nga ng pandemic, nakakita ako ng pagkakataon dahil sangkatutak na ayuda ang pinamimigay, sabi ko kay Presidente Duterte, i-waive na rin natin, tanggalin na yung mga penalty para makatulong sa mga magsasaka. Wala na ngang pambayad, ipi-penalty pa natin,” she said.
“Kaya yun na nga ang nangyari, nauna yun at nagkaroon ng precedent. So nung nanalo si Presidente Bongbong, sabi ko ituloy na natin so nagkaroon ng EO at yung interest naman ang tinanggal at yung mismong utang na kaya zero balance na,” she added.
DAR Regional Director Atty. Marvin Villegas-Bernal explained that the program was made possible through Republic Act 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2023.
“Ito yung bunga ng RA 11953 kung saan lahat ng kautangan bunga ng amortisasyon sa mga lupang iginawad ng ating pamahalaan sa programang agrarian reform ay pinatawad na,” Bernal explained.
“At pagkapasa nga nito, ang tanikala na nakatali sa ating mga ARB sa kanilang kautangan ay ‘written off’ so condonation. Kaya ang ating mga ARBs ay hindi na magbabayad ng amortisasyon sa Landbank of the Philippines,” he said, adding that the COCROM serves as proof that the ARBs no longer have obligations to pay.
In addition to the COCROMs, DAR also distributed 239 CLOAs under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling Project (SPLIT).
Bernal explained that under SPLIT, collective CLOAs were subdivided and distributed to individual beneficiaries.
He noted that the nearly 1,200 ARBs represent only the initial batch covered by RA 11953. These beneficiaries had amortization debts incurred on or before September 23, 2022.
He clarified that ARBs who received land from September 24, 2022, onwards are not covered by the law but fall under an executive order mandating a moratorium on the payment of amortization.
“So halos libre pa rin, until such time that the Congress will enact a subsequent law condoning amortizations from September 24, 2022, to present,” he said.
To avail of the condonation, Bernal advised ARBs to bring their COCROMs to their respective Register of Deeds (RD).
“Dahil ang titulo na binigay ng pamahalaan noon ay may tinatawag na encumbrance. Yun yung evidence of the existence of amortization to be paid by the ARBs. Kailangan nilang ipresenta itong COCs to the RDs for purposes of canceling the encumbrance,” he explained.
Regarding the SPLIT program, Bernal said exact figures were not yet available as the initiative is ongoing, with approximately 2-3 hectares of land still undergoing parcelization.
“Noong nakaraang mga buwan ay nag-distribution tayo ng napakalaking lupain sa Busuanga and Coron kung saan ipinamahagi natin yung tinatawag na Busuanga Pasture Reserve or yung Yulo King Ranch. At meron pa tayong ipapamahagi na portion sa mga darating na araw at inaantay na lang natin na mabigyan ng go-signal para magkaroon na ng parcelization,” he added.
