The Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Region 12 (DENR-12) has distributed 397 land titles in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat as part of the agency’s “Handog Titulo” program.

“The land title distribution was in partnership with the local government of Sultan Kudarat and the Land Registration Authority (LRA),” DENR-12 Assistant Director for Technical Services Ma. Socorro Lanto said in a statement released Saturday.

Lanto and Sultan Kudarat Governor Suharto Mangudadatu handed over the land titles to the beneficiaries at the provincial gymnasium in Isulan.

Also in attendance were local environment and agricultural officials, who assisted in the distribution of agricultural and special patents to the beneficiaries, from several barangays and schools in the province.

In his speech Mangudadatu said the government is doing everything to ensure the welfare of the public and the “Handog Titulo” program is one of the examples showing how the government looks after the public’s rights and well-being.

Before the actual distribution, Lanto said the program is one of the 10-point socio-economic agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte to ensure the security of land tenure, and to encourage investments and address bottlenecks in the land management and titling agencies.

“The very essence of this program is to uplift the socio-economic status of the beneficiaries,” Lanto said.

“Based on DENR’s mandate, we are in charge of the management and disposal of public lands,” she added.

Intending to fast track the processing and issuance of public land patents to qualified beneficiaries, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu issued on August 1, 2019 the DENR Memorandum Circular No. 2019-04 conducting a nationwide Handog Titulo program every September in celebration of the Lands Anniversary.

Only last week, the DENR-12 and the Registry of Deeds awarded about 300 land titles to qualified beneficiaries in Matalam, North Cotabato.

Mangudadatu told the recipients to take care of their land properties and make the most out of it, including the Filipino tradition of handing over land ownership to their children or next of kin.

“Your children and future generations will inherit these lands, so you should take care of those titles,” Mangudadatu said. (PNA)