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PILAR, Bataan: The Atienza family left a Batangas
town and settled in an upland location in Bataan that was almost
cleared of big trees by logging operations back in 1948. Sixty years
later, the land they tilled and planted with mangoes, kasuy,
coconuts and other crops were given certificate of land title.
The Atienza patriarch was,
however, no longer around to receive his original certificate of
title. Felicisima Atienza Sanchez, 75, of Tanato, Balanga City, and
her younger sister became the beneficiaries from the toil of their
late father.
Virgilio Almario, 62, of
Cabog-Cabog in Balanga City received the original certificate of
title under his name for a one-hectare land he inherited from his
father who settled in the area in 1949. The land was planted to
mangoes, santol, caimito and avocado.
“Maliit pa lamang ako nang
dumating kami sa Cabog-Cabog at simulan ni tatay ang pagbubungkal sa
lupang ipinagkaloob sa akin ngayon ng Department of Environment and
Natural Resources [DENR] kaya maraming salamat po at sa wakas ay
talagang amin na amin na ang lupang ito,” he said.
Almario and Sanchez were among
274 farmers who were awarded land titles by DENR Bataan chief
Ricardo Lazaro Jr. on Thursday. Mayor Carlos Pizarro Jr. of Pilar
and Shila Garcia who represented his father, Gov. Enrique Garcia,
accompanied Lazaro in the distribution of the land titles.
The provincial environment and
natural resources officer (Penro) said they considered the “Handog
Titulo” on Independence Day as fitting for it was one of the means
of freeing the farmers from the bondage of poverty. “Handog Titulo:
Kalayaan sa Gapos ng Kahirapan,” a poster read.
Some 350 hectares of lands
scattered in 11 towns and one city in Bataan were given titles and
formally distributed to its owners. “We felt the joy from the
beneficiaries from the firm grip of their hands,” Lazaro said.
He added that the certificates of
titles are the first titles to the lands and could now be used as
collateral to loans while government will benefit in the form of
real property tax payments.
“Pati mga investors ay hindi na
mangingiming pumasok sa lugal at maglagay ng negosyo kung may titulo
ang mga lupa doon [Investors will no longer hesitate now that the
land have titles],” he said.
--Ernie B. Esconde
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