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Some thirty one (31) land owners in the province of Biliran have finally secured land titles in their lands through the Handog Titulo program conducted by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) of Biliran.

Of the 31 patents distributed, 19 are agricultural and 12 are residential with an aggregate area of 15.2571 hectares.

“Awarding of free patents or land titles is one of government’s way to help alleviate the social and economic condition of the people. Aside from giving security to the possession of the land, a land owner who obtained a valid title to his land could also pass it on to his legal heirs,” says Engr. Valire Jess Abar, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) of Biliran.

“We continue to strengthen our land title distribution program by fast-tracking the processing of applications from qualified landowners. This we do in partnership with the Register of Deeds (ROD) and the concerned local government units (LGUs), added Arturo E. Fadriquela, Regional Executive Director of DENR Region VIII.

Under the Public Land Act, for a land owner to be eligible for an award of an agricultural free patent, he must be in continuous cultivation and occupation of the subject agricultural land for a period of at least 20 years.While for residential free patent, only an actual occupancy of at least 10 years is required, among others.