TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) distributed 15,382 electronic land titles covering more than 36,622 hectares of agricultural land to 16,217 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from the six provinces of Eastern Visayas on Tuesday afternoon.

DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III led the distribution during a ceremony at the Leyte Convention Complex in Palo, Leyte, as the agency stepped up its efforts to secure land ownership for farmers through its Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project.

The number of titles distributed was increased by 4,582 after the Registry of Deeds released additional registered titles shortly before the event, allowing more ARBs to receive their individual land ownership documents.

The beneficiaries came from Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar provinces.

The distribution was conducted through a hybrid arrangement. ARBs from Leyte and Southern Leyte attended the ceremony in person with Estrella at the convention complex, while DAR provincial personnel and beneficiaries from Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and Biliran participated online.

The SPLIT Project is a DAR program that facilitates the subdivision and individual titling of agricultural lands previously covered by collective Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs), giving qualified beneficiaries individual titles to their respective farm lots.
During the ceremony, Estrella urged the beneficiaries to continue farming, noting their role in ensuring food production in the country.

“I hope you will not leave farming so that we can continue planting and providing food for our fellow Filipinos,” Estrella said.

He also encouraged the beneficiaries to support their children in pursuing college education, saying he wanted to see the next generation of farming families obtain professional degrees.

Estrella said the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would continue providing assistance to farmers to improve their livelihoods and agricultural productivity.
Among the assistance he cited were the construction of farm-to-market roads to facilitate the faster transport of farm produce, distribution of fertilizers and farm equipment, and the condonation of qualified existing agricultural loans.

The activity also included the ceremonial turnover of farm machinery and equipment worth P5.495 million to selected Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs).
The equipment is intended to support the organizations’ agricultural activities, reduce production constraints and improve farm productivity.

The distribution of the individual land titles forms part of DAR’s continuing implementation of land reform programs aimed at providing farmers with secure land tenure while complementing land distribution with agricultural support services.

For the beneficiaries, the individual electronic titles provide formal documentation of their ownership of the land awarded to them under the agrarian reform program, which can help provide greater security in managing and developing their farms.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Residents of Northern Samar will no longer have to travel as far for passport and other consular services with the impending establishment of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) 43rd Consular Office in Catarman.

The establishment of the DFA- Northern Samar was made possible through the efforts of Northern Samar 1st District Rep. Niko Daza, who co-sponsored the DFA budget and worked with DFA Secretary Theresa “Tess” Lazaro to support the establishment of the consular office.

Daza said the facility will bring essential government services closer to residents, particularly those who previously had to travel outside the province to process passports and avail themselves of other DFA services.

“Every Nortehanon deserves easier access to the services they need, closer to home,” Daza said during his sponsorship remarks at the House Committee on Appropriations budget deliberations.

Daza also expressed appreciation for his collaboration with Lazaro in advancing the initiative, which is expected to make consular services more convenient and accessible to thousands of Northern Samar residents.

The Catarman office, if realized, will become the 43rd DFA consular office in the country, expanding the agency’s reach outside major urban centers.

The establishment of the office is expected to reduce travel time and expenses for residents seeking passports and other consular documents and services.

Daza said the initiative reflects the government’s effort to make basic public services more accessible to communities outside major cities.

There is no information as to when the proposed provincial DFA office will operate.

(EUGENE M. ENANO)

TACLOBAN CITY – The 14-year-old boy linked to the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School (SJNHS) here remains under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at a rehabilitation facility in Tanauan, Leyte, a regional official said.

DSWD Eastern Visayas Regional Director Grace Subong made the clarification following reports that the minor, identified only by the alias “Nash,” had already left the facility.
“As far as we are concerned, the 14-year-old is still with DSWD at the rehabilitation facility, including the 15-year-old, and both continue to undergo assessment and interventions,” Subong said in a ImNET media forum held at the Madison Hotel and Resort, this city.
Her statement came after the parents of the three students killed in the shooting sought assurance on the whereabouts and status of the younger minor.

The parents reportedly also requested access to the 14-year-old, but the DSWD declined the request, citing the need to protect the privacy, welfare and security of children staying at the facility.

“We have to protect others, not just them. Rest assured that we will provide updates on the status of the two minors,” Subong said.

She emphasized that the facility is intended for rehabilitation and intervention rather than punishment.

According to Subong, children under DSWD care are given opportunities to continue their education and rebuild their lives. Some, she said, have eventually completed their studies, including college.

The two minors were placed under government custody following the shooting at SJNHS that left three students dead and others injured.

The incident prompted coordinated intervention by the DSWD, Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC), law enforcement agencies and other government offices.

The DSWD earlier said a multidisciplinary assessment was conducted to determine the appropriate interventions for the two minors. The agency also convened a case conference with the JJWC and the Eastern Visayas regional multidisciplinary team to discuss the case and possible interventions.

The shooting also resulted in the filing of criminal charges against the 15-year-old minor. The Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas earlier said charges were filed in connection with the deaths and injuries resulting from the incident.

The legal treatment of the two minors is governed by the country’s juvenile justice system.
Under Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, as amended by RA 10630, a child who is 15 years old or below at the time of the commission of an offense is exempt from criminal liability but must undergo an appropriate intervention program.

For children above 15 but below 18, the law likewise provides exemption from criminal liability unless they acted with discernment, in which case appropriate proceedings may be undertaken under the juvenile justice system.

Exemption from criminal liability does not automatically mean that a child is released without intervention. Depending on the circumstances and assessment, a child may undergo community-based intervention or be referred to a youth care facility when necessary and in the child’s best interest.

Following the shooting, the DSWD also provided psychological first aid and psychosocial support to affected students, parents, witnesses and bereaved families.

Face-to-face classes at SJNHS resumed on July 6, about two weeks after the incident, as authorities worked to help the school community recover from the shooting.

The DSWD has continued providing psychosocial support and related interventions to frontline personnel involved in responding to the incident, as well as rehabilitation and intervention for children in conflict with the law.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)