THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) awarded 42 agricultural patents to residents in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, the DENR announced Friday, December 2, 2022.

Ronald Gadot, in-charge of the office of the DENR regional executive director, Zamboanga del Sur Governor Victor Yu and Lawyer Samrollah Dekireh, acting regional director of the Registry of Deeds, led the awarding of the agricultural land titles on Tuesday, November 29, to the qualified recipients.

Gadot said of the 42 recipients, 27 are from Pagadian City, 11 from Guipos town, and two each from the towns of Ramon Magsaysay and Tambulig.

He said that agricultural free patents are land grants awarded to natural-born Filipino citizens in actual occupation and cultivation for at least 30 years of alienable and disposable lands of not more than 12 hectares, and have paid the corresponding real property taxes.

Gadot said the awarding of agricultural patents was made possible through the Handog Titulo Program, a joint effort of DENR, local government unit and the Registry of Deeds that fast-tracks the processing and disposition of land titles and strengthens the agency’s linkages with its stakeholders.

Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Diomedes Pablo, Ramon Magsaysay Community Environment and Natural Resource Officer (Cenro) Geoffrey Zayas and Guipos Cenro Felipe Callorina, Jr. joined the distribution of agricultural patents activity. (SunStar Zamboanga)