The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is eyeing the distribution of 300,000 to 400,000 land titles to agrarian reform beneficiaries this year, marking its most ambitious target under the current administration.
DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III made the announcement during a post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) discussion with Cabinet members in San Juan City on Tuesday. He emphasized that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the department to step up its efforts in granting long-awaited land ownership to Filipino farmers, according to this PCO press release.
“Itong taon na ito, sa palagay ko, ang aming trajectory will be about 300,000 to 400,000 na mga titulo na ang tagal-tagal pong hinintay ng ating mga magsasaka,” Estrella said.
Long Wait for Farmers
Many agrarian reform beneficiaries have waited 15 to 30 years for their certificates of land ownership awards (CLOAs) and electronic titles to be released. These documents serve as legal proof of land ownership under the agrarian reform program and can also be used as collateral for agricultural loans or other forms of financial support.
Estrella stressed that land titles give farmers both security and opportunity, allowing them to invest more confidently in their livelihoods.
Steady Rise in Title Distribution
Under President Marcos’ leadership, DAR has sharply increased the number of distributed titles compared to past administrations.
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From July to December 2022, more than 26,000 land titles were distributed—equivalent to what the previous administration took a year and a half to complete.
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In 2023, DAR delivered over 50,000 titles.
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By 2024, that number had doubled to 100,000 titles.
The department now aims to quadruple its annual output in 2025, reaching as many as 400,000 beneficiaries.
Marcos’ Push for Empowerment
Estrella said President Marcos wants Filipinos, especially farmers, to “feel the government’s effort to uplift their lives” through agrarian reform. The President’s instruction to DAR is clear: accelerate land distribution so that farmers can finally gain full control over the land they till.
The effort aligns with the administration’s broader push to support the agriculture sector, which has long been burdened by unequal land ownership, limited access to financing, and weak infrastructure. By distributing titles at a faster pace, the government hopes to break long-standing bottlenecks and deliver overdue justice to beneficiaries.
Outlook
With an ambitious target set for 2025, DAR faces the challenge of delivering not just in numbers but also in meaningful impact. Farmers who receive their long-awaited CLOAs will gain the confidence and resources to invest in their land, access loans, and improve their productivity.
For many, the distribution of these titles is not just a bureaucratic milestone but the realization of a promise decades in the making.