DENR-7 grants over 20T free patents in CV
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, Dec. 29 (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) granted some 20,486 free patents covering 9,443.1269 hectares of untitled public alienable and disposable (A and D) agricultural lands under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Extension program as of December 26 this year in Central Visayas.
DENR 7 regional executive director Dr. Isabelo Montejo said, “this is the biggest accomplishment thus far in the region and even in the entire country when it comes to land titling efforts of the government.”
Of the total number of land titles distributed under CARP, Cebu province processed and issued 4,896 land titles covering 2,394.5184 hectares.
Bohol with 14,254 land titles or equivalent to 6,086.0633 hectares while Negros Oriental with 728 land titles or 641.6081 hectares and Siquijor province with 608 land titles or 320.9371 hectares.
Montejo said the country’s land services will redound to the overall productivity of idle lands in the country and will therefore ultimately boost economic prosperity.
In accordance to Republic Act No. 3844, otherwise known as the Agricultural Land Reform Code, the DENR is primary responsible for the distribution and land disposition through the issuance of free patents or homestead patents for public agricultural A and D lands.
Montejo said the DENR vowed to accelerate the issuance of titles in 2013 of close to 21,000 patents as it is supportive in spurring economic growth and land security in line with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP).
To recall, Montejo instructed all provincial and community environment and natural resources officers to keep a close watch on land title fixing within their respective area of jurisdiction and to report immediately certain officials or individuals so that appropriate charges will be filed against them.(mbcn/HFG/PIA-7 & DENR-7)
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DENR-7 allocates P370M for 2013 greening program
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, Dec. 29 (PIA) --- Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) allocated nearly P370 million for the national greening program (NGP) in 2013.
DENR 7 regional executive director Dr. Isabelo Montejo said this amount is intended for the region to reforest around 24,461 hectares of identified forest land up by 230 percent of this year’s 10,623-hectare target.
As indicated in the physical and financial plan (PFP) for 2013 released by the Planning Management Division (PMD), Cebu province will get the biggest share of P152.196 million or 41.15 percent covering 9,429 hectares.
Negros Oriental will get P136.103 million or 36.80 percent for its 9,689 hectares target while Bohol will receive P76.199 million or 20.60 percent to cover 5,058 hectares and Siquijor, P4.532 million or 1.23 percent for 185 hectares of forest land.
NGP is on its third year of implementation consistent with the Aquino administration's Philippine Development Plan (PDP).
“We are very positive that we will have a greater chance of meeting once again the target set by the central office, given that it is 230 percent higher compared to the 2012 target,” said Montejo.
This way, the government hopes that by the end of six years, the program should have achieved its target of “re-greening” or transforming some 1.5 million hectares of the country’s denuded areas into vibrant new plantations of forest trees or agroforestry (mix of fruit and forest trees), Montejo added.
"The massive and aggressive greening efforts is aimed to achieve the four broad objectives-- poverty reduction, food security, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation," Montejo explained.
Based on the 2001-2003 satellite images, the total forest cover of the Philippines is estimated at 7.168 million hectares or 24.27 percent of the country’s total land area of about 30 million hectares.
It can be recalled that DENR-7 has distributed and planted 7,985,542 seedlings which covered 10,896.10 hectares surpassing 2012’s target by three percent.(mbcn/HFG-PIA 7/DENR-7)