QUEZON CITY -- To ensure that agrarian justice is dispensed in the countryside, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently resolved the decade issue on land ownership between two (2) contesting families at Brgy. Ilian, Matalam, Cotabato.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Rodolfo Alburo said the DAR visited the area because of the report reaching their office that the two families had been quarreling on the ownership and boundaries of the land that caused tensions and feuds in the area.

“The contested area was covered under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in 2002 through the Voluntary Offer-to-Sell scheme. The conflict escalated when the family of Rodrigo Matiman, the land titleholder, who are absentees and not in actual occupation, came to claim the land while the family of Haron Dilangalen, the actual occupants, are persistently claiming the said piece of lands,” Alburo related

He disclosed that the DAR conducted a relocation survey to the landholding situated at Barangay Ilian to determine the metes and bounds of the disputed lots measuring some 5.2084 hectares with technical description under Lot No. 4134, CSD 911.

"We are committed to settling their issue in the most diplomatic and peaceful way, thus we conducted mediation conference to settle the disputes between the claimants and the actual occupants," Alburo said.

The mediation team was headed by the DAR Provincial Office Legal Division Chief Atty. Rahyll Saga, Matalam DAR Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officers (MARPOs) Mary Joy Clarito, and Roberto Taberna with the joint intervention of the 90 Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army headed by 1Lt. Julius Gaite.

Saga divulged that with thorough analyses and considerations, and in order to pacify both parties through a win-win solution, the Matimans and Dilangalens have agreed to divide the land accordingly.  

He elaborated that both families agreed, that Lot No. 4334-D measuring 1.3021 hectares will be given to the Matimans while three (3) hectares consisting of Lot Nos. 4134-A, 4134-B, and a portion of 4134-C will be given to the Dilangalens.

MARPO Clarito expressed her gratefulness to the people who had been instrumental in helping them settle the land ownership which includes, the barangay officials led by Chairman Cutin Idtug, the residents, and the involved families for their participation and cooperation.

“We also thank the DAR  Cotabato Survey team for the successful relocation survey and remonumenting of the said lots,” she said. (DAR)