For years, Remalyn Pagnas and her family cultivated their land with hope and uncertainty. On August 4, that uncertainty came to an end.
Holding their land title for the first time during the distribution ceremony at the DENR-CAR Training Center, Pagnas, together with her husband and children, stood among dozens of beneficiaries whose long wait for legal ownership had finally been realized.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary, Atty. Juan Miguel Cuna personally handed over the land titles to beneficiaries from across Benguet during the Luntiang Bukas program by the DENR-CAR.
A total of 64 land titles were distributed during the ceremony, consisting of 55 Agricultural Free Patents covering approximately seven hectares and nine Special Patents covering 2.1348 hectares.
The agricultural patents were awarded to qualified beneficiaries from Buguias, Itogon, Kabayan, Kapangan, Mankayan, and Tuba, while the special patents were granted to government institutions, including the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-Baguio, the City Government of Baguio, Bano-oy Elementary School in Buguias, James Calabias Elementary School in Kabayan, and the Municipal Government of Kapangan.
For Pagnas, the title represented more than a legal document.
She expressed her gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the DENR led by Secretary Cuna for making the program possible, saying that the title gave their family a future they could finally call their own.
Her husband shared that owning the land now frees them from lingering worries.
“Now we can plant whatever crops and fruit-bearing trees we want without fear. We no longer have to worry because the land is already ours. What makes us happiest is knowing that our children will benefit from this someday,” he said.
The same sense of fulfillment was shared by Felipe Dumalti, a farmer from Buguias, Benguet, who said receiving his title was one of the greatest gifts he could leave to his family.
“I’m happy because now I have something I can truly pass on to my children,” he said.
The distribution forms part of the government’s continuing effort to provide land tenure security, strengthen agricultural productivity, and promote inclusive rural development.
In his 2026 State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. underscored the administration’s commitment to accelerating land titling and improving land governance, emphasizing that secure land tenure empowers families, encourages investments in agriculture, and unlocks greater economic opportunities for communities.
Secretary Cuna echoed this commitment during the distribution, emphasizing that land ownership is more than the issuance of a title. It is about providing families with security, dignity, and confidence to cultivate their land, improve their livelihoods, and build a better future for the next generation.
“Our work does not end with these awards (of patents). As the President Marcos reminds us, relief is not a finish line. We will continue to push back against delay and move forward with delivery until every citizen feels that their government is working for them, until every Cordilleran feels that their government is finally working for them,” he said.
By securing legal ownership of lands that families have cultivated for years, the DENR continues to transform pieces of paper into lasting opportunities, ensuring that the benefits of land ownership are passed from one generation to the next.
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