The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is intensifying its nationwide operations starting this October as it accelerates the distribution of about 400,000 hectares of land to meet its target for 2025.

In a news release on Wednesday, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the efforts are in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to uplift the lives of Filipino farmers and strengthen the country’s food security.

“DAR is now in full operational swing to meet the target within the year, following the President’s directive to fast-track the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP),” Estrella said.

“October is a crucial month for DAR as we speed up land validation, documentation, and titling activities across the country. We are determined to fulfill our commitment to Congress to distribute 400,000 hectares of land this 2025 and help more farmers finally own the lands they have long been tilling,” he added.

Estrella said that regional DAR offices nationwide are now conducting simultaneous field validations, land surveys, and title distributions in coordination with the Land Registration Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Land Bank of the Philippines and local government units.

He said that this is to fast-track documentation and issue individual land titles to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling Project more efficiently.

Estrella said that DAR has already distributed a total of 242,883 land titles to 232,098 ARBs, covering 305,944 hectares of farmland from July 2022 to August 2025.

Moreover, it has also distributed 401,001 Certificates of Condonation and Release of Mortgage (COCROMs) totaling PHP41 billion in unpaid amortizations to 322,200 ARBs, covering 434,216 hectares of land.

The condonation has freed farmers from decades-old debts and granted them full ownership of their awarded lands.

Estrella said that DAR will hold a series of nationwide distributions of land titles and the awarding of COCROMs, as well as the distribution of farm machineries and equipment (FMEs) for both ARBs and ARB organizations from October to December, to ensure that land ownership is complemented by support services.

Meanwhile, Estrella said the DAR’s continuing reforms are anchored on transparency, efficiency, and accountability, ensuring that agrarian reform translates to inclusive growth and lasting rural development.

“Every title distributed and every case resolved represents a family’s hope for stability and progress. Our performance reflects the dedication of the entire DAR organization to deliver on its promises. We will continue to work relentlessly to ensure that our 400,000-hectare target for 2025 is fully realized,” he said. (PNA)