GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- After bouts of contentious criticism from a certain group of local farmers, Alejandro Gansayan, chairman of Vineyard Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (VARBC) poured out his heartfelt gratitude to the Department of Agrarian Reform as two hundred ninety-two ARBs of their cooperative received their C-Titles (computerized titles) from the Department of Agrarian Reform here in Sarangani and General Santos City. 

"Mahinungdanun gyud ni nga adlaw tungod kay nadawat na namo ang individual title human sa 31-katuig. Salamat sa DAR SPLIT Project kay gikan sa collective CLOA, ang individual title namo mao’y nipakusog sa among katungod sa among luna," Gansayan said.

(This is indeed a significant day as we have finally received our individual titles after 31 years. We extend our gratitude to the DAR SPLIT Project because the collective CLOA we have become individual titles, which strengthened our property rights.) 

DAR’s Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project, a partnership with the World Bank, made the parcelization of the previously issued Collective Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CCLOA) possible. 

DAR 12 Regional Director Mariannie S. Lauban-Baunto conveyed that with DAR’s legal assistance and proactive interventions against some incidents that delayed their receipt of the titles, the ARBs have obtained full control over making their land productive. 

Baunto exhorted the ARBs to take confidence in the titles they already held, as they have been officially issued by the government through the DAR and Registry of Deeds. 

DAR Sarangani OIC Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Cenon S. Original, CESO VI expressed gratitude to the VARBC officers who worked closely with the Taskforce on ARB Installation and DARMO General Santos City staff to carefully plan and conduct the actual distribution of the 520 C-Titles covering 478 hectares peacefully and successfully. 

DAR Assistant Regional Director H. Roldan A. Ali, Al-Haj, Registry of Deeds General Santos Head Atty. Peter Armand Henares, San Jose Barangay Capt. Abdul Rahim S. Paidumama, MARPO Gregory John Marshall N. Martos, OIC MARPO Cleofe A. Almerino, OIC PARPO I Ramonito C. Marciano, PCAO Philin T. Ravanera, OIC CARPO LTID Bernard E. Catapang, Legal Division Chief Atty. Kay P. Aviles, Mayor Lorelie G. Pacquiao’s executive assistant, Atty. Nikki Catolico, BLGU, and DAR personnel participated in the said activity. (Agnes Torino / DARPO Sarangani)