TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is eyeing to award 1,600 free patents in Eastern Visayas this year as part of its effort to help develop alienable and disposable lands in the region.

About 800 of the patents are intended for residential lots and the other 800 are for agricultural lands.

Marilou Abocot, DENR Eastern Visayas assistant chief of Licenses Patents and Deeds Division, said budget constraints prompted them to lower their target this year from the 2,960 free patents awarded in 2022.

The government spends P1,500 for each free patent.
Abocot urged the lot owners to apply for free patents as a mode of acquiring ownership of a certain parcel of alienable and disposable land.

Agricultural free patents, on the other hand, are land grants awarded to natural-born Filipino citizens in actual occupation and cultivation for at least 30 years of alienable and disposable lands not more than 12 hectares and have paid the corresponding real property taxes.

“If someone has free patents, they can improve their lands since there is a sense of ownership. For agricultural lands, they can make it more productive and contribute to economic development,” Abocot told the Philippine News Agency.
The title distribution is in line with the DENR’s program on improved land administration and management.

This includes the processing and issuance of free patents for agricultural and residential lands to provide security of tenure to occupants and landowners of alienable and disposable lands through a simplified, streamlined and cost-effective process of administrative titling.
“Through this project, we are giving an opportunity to property owners to own titled lands without spending much during the process,” she said.

Abocot observes that many landowners in the region have no legal documents showing a proof of ownership of their properties.

Existing laws authorize the issuance of free patents to natural born Filipino citizens who do not own more than 12 hectares of agricultural land, and has continuously occupied or cultivated the subject property either by himself or through his predecessors-in-interest for at least 30 years before the effectivity of the amendatory act, and have paid the real property tax thereon.

Abocot said that for areas covered by Rapid Land Tenure Appraisal (RLTA), it will be easier to process free patents since there is already a clear picture of the land tenure situation on the ground before land titling operations.

Since 2018, areas in the region that have undergone RLTA are Gamay and Lapinig in Northern Samar; Guiuan in Eastern Samar; Bato, Villaba, Babatngon and Albuera in Leyte; and Pinabacdao in Samar.

This year, the appraisal will cover the towns of Basey, Samar; Malitbog, Southern Leyte; Culaba, Biliran; and Lavezares, Northern Samar.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

The Uniformed and Non-uniformed Personnel in Eastern Samar Police Provincial Office (ESPPO) conducted a Culminating Ceremony of the 2023 National Women’s Month on March 29, 2023 with District Engineer Ma. Margarita C. Junia as their Guest of Honor and Speaker.

District Engineer Junia shared the meaning and importance of the theme “WE for gender equality and inclusive society,” which according to her that the efforts in promoting Women Empowerment, Gender Equality and Inclusivity of Women in the Society are not only responsibilities of women, but should be upheld and participated by every individual in the society.

“Ang usaping Gender Equality, ay hindi ito responsibilidad lang ng kababaihan kundi responsibilidad ito ng bawat isa. At mas magiging epektibo at kapanipaniwala na meron talagang Gender Equality kung mismong kalalakihan ang magsusulong nito. Kasi kung nangagaling sa babae, nagiging self-serving ang dating, pero kung lalake ang magsusulong nito, dun palang me acceptance na ng gender equality & women inclusivity in society.” said DE Junia.

She also highlighted her experience of how she survived during her younger years when she was taking up the course of Civil Engineering and joined the construction arm of the government where discrimination against women was very rampant.

“It was really a struggle to rise in the world of male dominated fields or agency especially during those times when discrimination against women was very rampant. There were hard challenges I experienced both in my career and personal life, but the art of not giving up that one has to stand in every fall, empowered me as a woman,” said DE Junia.

The lady district engineer also appreciates how effective the campaign of Women Empowerment and Gender Equality in the society in the modern times is because women today have got equal potential provided that they are being trusted and valued.

She presented the statistics of employment of the male dominated agencies such as the PNP, DPWH, BJMP and BFP where numbers of women employment are continuing to rise.
“Hindi lang pala mga kalalakihan ang matatapang at magagaling makipaglaban para sa kapayapaan ng komunidad, maging katulong sa Infrastructure Development at maging Lider. Kaya din ito ng mga kababaihan. Kaya naniniwala talaga ako na hindi tayo BABAE LANG, kundi BABAE TAYO!,” continued DE Junia.

She also shared that women are now playing managerial roles and some are head of agencies in local and even in regional offices.

“And one-time last December 2022 when all the Department Heads from National Agencies were invited by Congresswoman Maria Fe R. Abunda, doon ko nakita na madami din kaming mga ladies na head of offices. And we are even more empowered dahil ang ating Eastern Samar Representative ay isa ding Babae, isang Nanay,” said DE Junia.

She thanked the ESPPO for making her part of the celebration and challenged the men to continue in supporting and loving the women, to never underestimate their capabilities and to empower them through encouraging words and respect.

She also advised the women to be more empowered in having courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent and guts.

Also, part of the culminating ceremony is the Awarding of Stakeholders to Mayor Gina A. Ty of Taft, Eastern Samar and Board Member Virginia Zacate of Sanguniang Panlalawigan of Eastern Samar.

There were awarding of certificates also to the Top 10 Most Awarding Women in the PNP namely Ma. Felisa Dayao (Top 1), Catherine Poro (Top 2), Dailen Duran (Top 3), Evelina Berongoy (Top 4), Cheerimay Cabrera (Top 5), Joy Serrano (Top 6), Maricris Ofanda (Top 7), Mary Jane Bongcawil (Top 8, Ma. Aizel Yopo (Top 9) and Ma. Andrea Morales (Top 10).
Meanwhile, ESSPO Provincial Director Matthe L. Aseo congratulated all the awardee and thanked Engineer Junia for gracing the event and giving inspiration to uniformed and non-uniformed personnel of the PNP.

District Engineer Ma. Margarita C. Junia is the current District Engineer of DPWH Eastern Samar District Engineering Office and the District Engineers League of the Philippines, Inc. (DELP) Vice President for Visayas.(PR)

TACLOBAN CITY– With the intensified implementation of health and nutrition programs among children in the city, data from the Tacloban City Nutrition Office noted a decrease in the prevalence of malnutrition in aged 0-59 and 0-23 months old.

City Nutrition Program Coordinator Liza Lendero disclosed that the result of the 2021 and 2022 Operation Timbang Plus (OPT+) showed a slight drop of 2.4 percent in the prevalence of malnourished kids from 8.2 to only 5.8 percent, wherein OPT coverage increased to 11.4 percent from 58.1 to 69.5 percent.

After the challenges brought by the pandemic, the positive turnout, according to Lendero, was due to their strengthened programs to address nutrition-related concerns and the support given by the barangays to implement activities and to reach more children to participate in the OPT+.

Through the linkages from the different offices in the city government such as the City Cooperative Development and Livelihood Assistance Office, City Agriculture and the City Veterinary Office’s pig and chicken dispersal program, the office was able to assist in providing livelihood activities to aid the families of malnourished children to get additional income.

She also mentioned that this year they are targeting to conduct a 40-day feeding event in barangays 42 and 42-A of which 30 children per barangay will benefit.
Ongoing programs of CNO include Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Program Implementation (MELLPI) and the ‘Pabasa sa Nutrition’ in Brgy. 42 and 96 this March 30-31.

MELLPI ensures the effectiveness of program implementation in various barangays in the city while PSN encourages sustained participation of the community in promoting proper and good nutrition.
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)