BUENAVISTA, AGUSAN DEL NORTE — Thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries across Caraga gained stronger documentation of their land ownership after the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) distributed individual land titles covering 10,777.9566 hectares under its Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project. The November 12, 2026 distribution benefited 5,801 farmers from across the region, with more than 3,000 beneficiaries attending the stakeholders’ engagement activity in Buenavista. The event was led by DAR Undersecretaries Kazel Celeste and Josef Angelo Martires, together with DAR Caraga Regional Director Merlita Capinpuyan. The latest release advances the agency’s effort to convert collective land awards into individual titles, giving beneficiaries clearer documentation of their respective landholdings.
Expanding Land Ownership Opportunities
Another 307 agrarian reform beneficiaries received land titles covering 420.4129 hectares through DAR’s Regular Land Acquisition and Distribution Program. The awards covered beneficiaries in Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Surigao del Sur, extending land distribution opportunities to more farming households. These titles provide beneficiaries with formal documentation of their respective landholdings and a stronger foundation for managing their agricultural properties. The initiative reflects continuing efforts to strengthen land tenure security among agrarian reform beneficiaries across the region.
Supporting Farm Productivity and Livelihoods
Land distribution was accompanied by assistance for six agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs), representing 542 members across the region. Under DAR’s Climate-Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project, the organizations received farm machinery, equipment, and livelihood interventions worth more than PHP2.4 million. The assistance is intended to help beneficiary groups improve agricultural operations, strengthen production capacity, and expand livelihood opportunities. By combining individual land titles with practical farm resources, DAR’s initiatives address both land security and the capacity of farming communities to sustain their livelihoods.
