DENR distributes 4,562 Free Patents

PRESS RELEASE                                                            FOR REFERENCE
January 26, 2010                                                              ALFREDO S. ARAYA
                                                                                         Chief, Regional Public Affairs Office
                                                                                         Telefax: 4820857
                                                                                         Email: araya_rpao5denr@yahoo.com

DENR distributes 4,562 Free Patents under Handog Titulo

LEGAZPI CITY - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources distributed 4,562 Free Patents to farmer beneficiaries in Bicol last year under its Handog Titulo program.

DENR Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus Fragada said the distribution of Free Patents, covering 5,342 hectares of alienable and disposable lands classified as agricultural, residential and commercial, was in support to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

The DENR through its Land Management Service (LMS) conducts cadastral and public survey of lands of the public domain also in support to the titling component of the CARP, Fragada added.

He said that aside from the issuance of patents/title to alienable and disposable lands, three other major activities were conducted by the DENR in Calendar Year 2009.

These were: (1) Identification, processing and preparation of draft proclamation on lots for school sites; (2) Identification of lots suitable for socialized housing; and (3) Disposition/resolution of land claims and conflicts cases.

Other DENR Land Management Service accomplishments in CY 2009 include:

1. Inspected, verified and approved 8,435 lots with a total area of 3,962.7405 hectares under regular fund and 12,223.7909 hectares equivalent to 7,871 lots under CARP funds. (One of the mandates of the DENR is the verification, synchronization and regulation of all surveys of the public domain in order to accelerate the adjudication of lands for the purpose of achieving tenurial security, landownership equity, improvement of standard of living and stimulation of land market activities in consonance with the principle of sustainable development. Such function includes survey and verification and approval of all types of surveys).

2. Processed 198 foreshore lease/contracts/permit applications for the use/occupation and management of foreshore areas.

3. Encoded 9,824 land records. (The DENR manages and maintain various land records consisting of survey maps, plans, lot data computation and public land applications to serve the needs of its clientele regarding accurate, fast information and references on the status of public land application, survey matters and issuance of survey maps and plans).

4. Established 105 control points through its Field Network Survey Party which is tasked to densify 3rd and 4th order geodetic control points (mojons) to serve as basis in all surveying activities. (ASA)