PNA photo by Leilanie Adriano
More than 1,000 beneficiaries across the Ilocos Region received land patents from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, giving them formal recognition over properties they have occupied or used for years.
The DENR distributed 1,003 patents to qualified recipients from Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan during a ceremonial awarding at SM City Laoag on Thursday.
Among the beneficiaries was Myla Catherine Irorita-Osdon of Barangay Bonifacio Poblacion in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur, who received a residential land patent and said the title finally gave her the legal standing of a landowner.
Another recipient, 97-year-old Teofilo Beñas of Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, received a patent covering 968 square meters in Susugaen town bearing his name and that of his late wife Andrea.
Beneficiaries said the documents provided greater certainty over properties their families had long occupied, cultivated or maintained.
DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said land titles give holders stronger security over their property and can help them make long-term improvements with greater confidence.
The agency said formal land tenure can also make it easier for families to protect their property rights and participate in economic activities tied to land ownership.
The distribution formed part of the DENR’s continuing land management program for qualified occupants seeking legal recognition of residential and agricultural holdings.