VIENTIANE, Laos -- Delegates from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) attended the World Bank (WB) conference on Recognition of Customary and Forest Area Tenure on November 14-17 held at the Crowne Plaza here.

The conference aims to assess the current land tenure systems in East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region and supports the governments of Laos, the Philippines, and Indonesia to recognize, formalize, and register customary land rights, and share lessons learned from the different countries.

A WB study indicates there are more than 225 million indigenous peoples (IPs) and farmers living in the EAP.

These IPs and farmers play a critical role in preserving the world’s remaining tropical forests and the preservation of biodiversity, which makes it necessary to promote and protect the rights of the farmers and the IPs to their land.

The Philippine delegation to the conference was composed of representatives from the DAR, the Department of Environment and Natural Recourses, the National Commission on Indigenous People, and the Land Registration Authority.

The DAR delegation was represented by Atty. Marjorie Ayson, Assistant Secretary for Field Operations Office and Engr. Joey Sumatra, National Project Director for Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) and Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Research Office.  

Sumatra as one of the resource speakers presented an overview of the tenure context in the Philippines. (DAR)