DENR to give out over 2T lot titles

CEBU, Philippines – Over 2,000 residential lot claimants in Central Visayas are set to receive their titles as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 recently granted their request.

The DENR is now set to issue around 2,580 residential lots to lot title claimants all over the region.

This after over 17,000 agricultural lot claimants and 3,140 residential land owners were successfully awarded with their land titles under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and Residential Free patent act in year 2014.

"We are very happy that we were able to complete our land titling targets last year, we look forward for another successful year in 2015. We will continue to work hard to help all our remaining lot claimants be granted with their titles and hopefully, we will be able to achieve if not exceed our targets once again," said DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Dr. Isabelo Montejo.

Of the overall regional target, Cebu Province is set to issue 500 lot titles; Bohol with 1,500, Negros Oriental Province with 480 and Siquijor with 100 residential titles for the province.

"We credit our success in residential titling in 2014 to the strong and solid support of the local government units from the four provinces, we are very happy that our local chief executives are very supportive and willing for the good and benefit of their populaces," Montejo added.

A free patent on residential land covers untitled residential lands in public alienable and disposable lands that are zoned by local government units as residential areas, including town sites, public schools, municipal halls, public plazas or parks, delisted and abandoned military camps or reservations.

Any Filipino citizen who is an actual occupant of a residential land for at least ten years may apply for a free patent title.

Moreover, the DENR is also set to issue around 9, 995 agricultural lots under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) to benefit more farmers and their families in the rural communities. — (FREEMAN)