Duterte orders gov’t agencies to identify state-owned lands

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has directed government agencies to identify state-owned lands for distribution to beneficiaries.

Duterte signed Executive Order No. 75 on February 15, a copy of which was released to the media on Wednesday.

Under the EO, all government departments, bureaus, offices and instrumentalities were ordered to identify their lands suitable for agriculture within 30 days.

The identified government-owned lands will be acquired by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), who will then prepare an inventory and validate the lands in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The lands will then be distributed to qualified beneficiaries for cultivation or agricultural use.

The DAR and the Department of Justice were tasked to formulate the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) on the validation, segregation, transfer, and distribution of government-owned lands within 90 days. /ee