KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — Five land titles were awarded to beneficiaries in South Cotabato under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Handog Titulo Program during a distribution ceremony held early this week at the South Cotabato Provincial Capitol Compound this city.
The initiative supports Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr.’s commitment to responsive and people-centered governance by strengthening interagency coordination and bringing essential government services closer to communities.
The activity brought together DENR 12, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) South Cotabato, CENRO Banga, the Provincial Government of South Cotabato, the Land Registration Authority, and other partner institutions to make land titling services more accessible and resolve documentation concerns more efficiently.
The Office of the Provincial Assessor (OPASS) South Cotabato provided coordination support, particularly in ensuring that property assessment records correspond with the approved surveys and patent documents processed by DENR.
Provincial Assessor Engr. Ritchie A. Ballesta said the office’s role includes the issuance of tax declarations for patent title applicants and the verification of assessment records against DENR-approved surveys.
“Our participation is to ensure that the tax declarations and the records of the OPASS are aligned with the approved survey of DENR. There are instances when the records do not coincide, so we have established an arrangement where these cases are immediately discussed and resolved together. This makes it easier to address concerns and helps ensure that applicants can proceed with the process without unnecessary delays,” Ballesta said.
The titles included three Special Patents covering government-owned properties, one Residential Free Patent, and one Agricultural Free Patent. The recipients were the Provincial Government of South Cotabato, the Barangay Local Government Unit of Mambucal, the Mambucal Day Care Center, Rosemarie G. Sua, and Dr. Nanette P. Franco.
The titled properties covered a combined area of 517,404 square meters, including 466,172 square meters for the Provincial Government, 2,311 square meters for the Mambucal Barangay Hall, 241 square meters for the Mambucal Day Care Center, 163 square meters for Sua, and 48,517 square meters for Franco.
DENR 12 OIC Regional Executive Director Maria Elvira V. Lumayag highlighted the importance of collaboration among government agencies in advancing land tenure security, food security, and peace and order in the province.
For the beneficiaries, the issuance of titles provides greater security of tenure and a formal legal basis for ownership of their properties. For the Provincial Government, the initiative demonstrates the importance of interagency collaboration in addressing land documentation concerns and making government services faster, more efficient, and more accessible to the public.
