LONG-TIME RESIDENTS, FARMERS TO BENEFIT

THE House Committee on Natural Resources has approved House Bill 127 (HB 127), filed by Third District Representative Rachel Arenas, seeking to reclassify the Mangabul Reservation in Bayambang as alienable and disposable land for long-time resident farmers.

Arenas hailed the committee’s action as a major breakthrough for Mangabul families who have waited decades for a resolution to the area’s lingering agrarian conflict. She credited the bill’s progress to the cooperation between Congress and the Bayambang local government.

HB 127 covers more than 2,000 hectares to be reclassified for distribution to bona fide farmers who have lived on and cultivated the land for over 60 years. Arenas said the measure aims to secure long-term stability and peace for hundreds of affected families.

Mangabul Reservation was originally composed of forest and lake areas but gradually transformed into farmland and a thriving settlement. Despite this, it remains classified as Insular Public Domain, preventing farmers from securing land titles.

During the committee hearing on November 26, Arenas commended the Bayambang LGU for its active participation, particularly the submission of a position paper that guided the review. Representatives from the Municipal Legal Office and the Municipal Assessor’s Office attended to explain how the reclassification would affect residents and the LGU’s coordination with national agencies.

Arenas noted that the courts have long recognized the farmers’ occupation of the land, making it the proper time to grant them ownership and finally put an end to the long-standing dispute. If approved by the House plenary and the Senate, the bill will allow Mangabul’s qualified beneficiaries to finally receive titles to the lands they have cultivated for generations. (Eva Visperas)