The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in a landmark decision said it has distributed a 2.01-hectare land at Lupang Arenda in Taytay, Rizal to the urban poor.
Acting Environment Secretary Jim Sampulna said the land distribution has ended the decades-long wait of the beneficiaries to own the disputed land.
He handed over the land titles to the beneficiary-members of the Samahang Masigasig ng Sitio Tapayan Homeowners Association (SAMATHOA) in Barangay Sta. Ana.
He led the turnover of 41 original certificates of land ownership to the member-beneficiaries of SAMATHOA who have been occupying the 2.01 hectares of land at Lupang Arenda.
He expressed gratitude to President Rodrigo Duterte for his directive to strengthen the land distribution and reform program in the country that benefited the members of SAMATHOA.
He said the government commits to providing the rest of the land parcels which comprise the remaining three hectares of the proposed DENR Center in Rizal through the provision of a temporary ownership document.
““There are still 319 patents supposed to be given to you, however, these are underwater which cannot be titled,” he said.
“But in the meantime, I told PENRO (Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer) and RED (Regional Executive Director) to issue a certificate of land allocation (CELA). The CELA is already like a land title but you are not yet required to pay tax since we cannot yet have it titled due to its location,” he raised.
He urged the Rizal PENRO to expand the titling process in nearby towns.
“I am challenging, the most competent PENRO, PENRO (Ramil) Limpiada that while we are working on distributing lands here in Lupang Arenda, we should also look into other areas in Taytay, in Antipolo, and other areas in the province that needs to be titled,” he said.