GERONIMO DELOS REYES PROPERTIES

PROFILE OF THE LANDHOLDINGS

Location Brgy. Imok, Calauan, Laguna

Total Area 246.2707 hectares
Covered 158.8016 hectares
Exempted 0
Distributed 158.8016 hectares
Retained 43.5934 hectares
(Note: Geronimo delos Reyes has 6 children.
Hence, the heirs are entitled to 30 hectares
retained area. The 13 hectares, excess of the
43.5934 hectares, are now being
documented for subsequent coverage)
Converted 0
Date of Coverage 2000
Previous Owner n/a
Current Owner Heirs of Geronimo delos Reyes and 289 ARBs
Title No. Please see table below
No. of ARBs 289

Title No. TOTAL RETENTION NON-CARP WITH CLOAS W/O CLOAS

AREA

T-953 168.9909 0 41.3287 126.7401 0.9220

T-954 77.2798 43.5934 1.6253 32.0615 0.0004

Total 246.2707 43.5934 42.954 158.8016 0.9224

0

PARTIES
Evangeline “Ka Vangie” Silva’s group – The group’s interest is for
the subsequent coverage of the remaining more or less 14 hectares
and issuance of CLOAs for the 200 applicants.

SAMMABICL – Samahan ng mga Magsasaka sa Brgy. Imok, Calauan,

Laguna. This is another group of applicants not affliated to the group of
Ka Vangie. They are also interested to be awardees of lots from the
Delos Reyes farm.

ISSUE

DAR-Laguna made a query addressed to the Bureau of Land Tenure

and Improvement (BLTI) if it can distribute home lots only (without
farm lots) for the 67 potential beneficiaries since there are only more
or less 11 hectares remaining portion which is subject of subsequent
coverage.
 FACTS
TCT Nos. T-953 and T-954 were registered in the name of Maria
Castro, cancelling the previous titles in the name of Geronimo de los
Reyes, based from the loan documents submitted on September 30,
1947. However, Delos Reyes was still in actual possession of the said
properties.

24 January 1945 - Civil Case No. 3134 was filed by Geronimo de los
Reyes versus Maria Castro and Manuel Espinosa before the Regional
Trial Court of Manila, Branch I and refiled as Civil Case No. 3910.

28 October 1947 - De los Reyes filed a second case against Maria

Castro and Manuel Espinosa, embodying the same allegations in the
complaint in Civil case No. 3134 for consignation of payment in favor
of Castro and Espinosa and a prayer for the cancellation of TCT Nos. T-
953 and T-954. In the same year, Delos Reyes filed Notices of Lis
Pendens on the two (2) titles indicating that the property was the
subject of litigation in Civil Case No. 3910.

05 June 1989 - a third Notice of Lis Pendens was filed in behalf of

Delos Reyes praying for the cancellation of the subject land titles.

03 June 1994 - a Decision was rendered in Case No. 3134 (refiled as

Case No. 3190) in favor of de los Reyes.

Defendants Castro and Espinosa filed an Appeal on the decision, but

on April 30, 2003, a Judgment in favor of the plaintiff de los Reyes was
promulgated.

Notice of Coverage (NOC) was sent to the heirs of Maria Castro and
Geronimo de los Reyes but it was returned and stamped with a
notation “Unknown Address”. Said NOCs were then published in
“Balita”, a newspaper of general circulation on February 12-14, 2004
for TCT No.(T-953) and on October 22-24, 2004 for TCT No. (T- 954).

Documentation process was done and Certificates of Land Ownership

Award (CLOAs) were generated, registered and distributed to farmer
beneficiaries in 2001 and 2006.

Subsequent Coverage of the Property:

With the earlier coverage, a remaining portion consisting of 44.3124

hectares were determined as the retention area of the heirs of Maria
Castro. But when the case was finally won by de los Reyes in a
Supreme Court Decision in 2017, DAR Laguna revisited the coverage
of the landholding and found that Geronimo Delos Reyes has only six
(6) legal heirs which entitle them to a retention area of only 30
hectares. This brought to DARPO’s attention a justifiable reason to
place the excess area of more or less 14 hectares under subsequent
coverage.

Chronology of Events:

11 April 2018 - A meeting/dialogue with the members of the

Samahan Ng Magsasaka ng Hacienda Delos Reyes (SMHDLR) under
the umbrella of PESANTE Pilipinas, was conducted to discuss the
planned subsequent acquisition of the excess area.

An agreement was reached to conduct Action Planning workshop for

the DAR Laguna staff and members of Samahan ng Magsasaka ng
Hacienda delos Reyes to formulate a concrete steps to finally continue
the coverage of the property.

Also present during the meeting/dialogue was DAR Region IV-A

Director Rene Colocar, LBP-AOC Vice President Ramil Basbacio and
former FOO Usec Karlo Bello. An agreement was reached for DARPO
Laguna to validate the claims of the farmers group’s actual occupancy
and farming activities in the property of de los Reyes.

05-06 July 2018 - A two-day Planning Workshop regarding the

subsequent acquisition of Hacienda delos Reyes was conducted. It
was attended by officers and members of SMHDLR, PESANTE Pilipinas
and representatives from the Sangguniang Barangay. The output of
the workshop is an Action Plan aimed at addressing the various issues
raised by the organization regarding the property’s subsequent
acquisition. The plan included several activities including
discussion/meetings and a whole day interview/validation activity to
identify potential ARBs to be awarded with farm lots.

23 October 2018 - Actual interview with the potential applicants was

conducted at the Barangay Hall of Barangay Imok, Calauan. A total of
251 hopeful applicants (members of SMDLR and SAMABIC) showed up
and were interviewed by the members of the DARPO Laguna Task
Force created for the said activity.

08 March 2019 – A dialogue/meeting with RD Rene Colocar and

members of SMHDLR was conducted. It was explained by RD Colocar
that the presence of another group (SAMABIC) might cause the delay
of the acquisition process hence advised SMHDLR to reconcile with
SAMABIC and consider the group’s intent to also be considered as
potential beneficiaries applicants of Hacienda delos Reyes. To reconcile
and the two farmer’s group claims, another round of validation activity
was set.

15 May 2019 - The two (2) validation teams both composed of DAR
Laguna technical staff, were tasked to conduct an on-site validation.
Of the 155 applicants, 139 were found to be claiming occupancy in the
area.

Portion of the property was also found to be occupied by the group

called SAMABICL (Samahan ng Magsasaka sa Barangay Imok,
Calauan, Laguna) whose members have already constructed makeshift
houses made of light and semi-permanent structures for their families.
Based on actual validation on that same date, there are 96 members
of the said group that had already been residing in the area.

June 2019 -The Provincial Screening Committee composed of DAR

LTS personnel, Sangguniang Barangay representatives and BARC was
convened. In a meeting at DARPO Laguna, initial presentation and
screening of the 251 potential beneficiaries applicants were conducted
in the presence of the Sangguniang Barangay Chairman Ruel
Panergayo and his councilors. BARC Chairperson Myrna Abordo,
though invited was not able to attend but she sent his husband to
inform the office of her unavailability. After a long discussion, the
Committee agreed to present the result of the initial screening to RD
Rene and the members of farmer’s group operating in the area.

12 July 2019 – The result of the initial screening was presented to

the officers of SMHDLR and PESANTE President Evangeline Silva. Said
meeting which was held at Lucidel Restaurant in Bay, Laguna was also
attended by DAR CALABARZON RD Rene Colocar and Sangguniang
Barangay representatives. DAR Laguna presented the result of the
screening process for the potential beneficiary applicants of Delos
Reyes property where only 44 out of the 155 applicants qualified as a
result of validation activity conducted and based on the existing CARP
rules and procedures of land acquisition and distribution.

Another conduct of validation activity was committed by RD Colocar

after the group of SMDLR/PESANTE did not agree on the list presented
by DAR Laguna saying that the list did not include those who are
bonafide/legitimate farmers working in the area.

09 September 2019 – Another round of validation and interview was

done by DAR Laguna to identify the actual occupants of the retention
area. Aside from re-validation of the information gathered during the
earlier interviews, picture-taking of the applicants in their supposed
areas of tillage within the whole retention area of Delos Reyes property
was done.

03 November 2020 - An official letter was received from the leaders

of SAMABIC requesting for their group members to be included in the
list of applicants for potential beneficiaries on the subject property.

11 November 2020 – Dialogue/meeting with RD Rene Colocar,

DARPO Laguna officials and SMHDLR members was conducted.
A strong clamor of members of the two (2) farmers’ group, SMHDLR
and SAMABICL to be included as potential beneficiary to the excess
retention of delos Reyes property was aired by both group (SAMABICL
through the official letter request).

Despite the long and detailed explanation of how potential ARBs are
identified, the groups still persisted on wanting to be included in the
list of potential ARBs for the area to be subsequently acquired by DAR
raising the issue of social justice to poor and landless farmers like
themselves. After a long discussion, both group conceded on
requesting that the coverage be limited to homelots to accommodate
all their members. It was explained that homelots are awarded only to
beneficiaries with farmlots. Understanding the dire need of these
farmers for a piece of land (even just for a decent dwelling) to call
their own, RD Rene Colocar and DAR Laguna committed to try to find a
way to help the group.

26 November 2020 – Together with Barangay Chairman Ruel F.

Panergayo, a meeting with SMHDLR and SAMABICL was conducted at
the Barangay Hall. SMHDLR agreed to consider SAMABICL members in
the applicants for potential beneficiaries. SAMABICL also agreed that
only those initially identified (96 members with homelot) during the
validation will be interviewed and considered as applicants.

09 December 2020 – Interviews with the 112 applicant-members of

Samahan ng mga Magsasaka ng Barangay Imok, Calauan, Laguna
(SAMABICL) was conducted.

10 December 10, 2020 – Interviews with another 94 applicants and

members of SMHDLR/PESANTE was also conducted.

12 October 2021- A conference was held on-site with the presence of

the officers and members of the SMHDLR represented by Ms.
Evangeline Silva.

As a result of this conference, it was agreed that the members of the

organization being the same ARBs in the coverage of this property, will
secure and submit a Certification from the local LGU (MAO) that the
property for subsequent acquisition is suitable to agriculture and
capable of agricultural production.

The preliminary list of applicants was reviewed and its final list was
posted at conspicuous places in the barangay and municipal hall of
Calauan, Laguna.
09-10 November 2021 – The subdivision survey was conducted with
the presence of all actual occupants and the survey plan was drafted
by engineer concerned.

07 December 2021 – The validation of the draft survey plan was

conducted with DARPO staff and DARCO Survey Team resulting into 67
lots with a total area of 12.8 hectares.

A final pulong-pulong was done and no more issues were raised by and
among the group of Ka Vangie Silva. The survey returns will be
finalized to be submitted to DENR and wait for its final approval.

28 December 2021 – Survey plan Psd 04-264819 (AR) for 1.7041

hectares for 1 ARB was approved by the DENR.

02 March 2022 - Survey plan Psd 04-265799 (AR) for 11.1551

hectares for 69 ARBs was approved by the DENR.

25 October 2022 – Updates gathered from the Team Office headed

by SARPT Elvira Brul are listed below:

1. Completion of the Field Investigation Report

2. Waiting for the additional documents required by the

Land Bank of the Phils. that were requested from
various line agencies like DA, PCA, MPDO & Office of the
Mayor

Specifically, the Office requested from the Municipal Agricultural Officer

Ms. Aisylene A. Laqueo, a certification of the Annual Gross Production
(AGP) per hectare and farmgate price for the different crops in the
municipality;

Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA): The Office requested from PCA

Manager Ronaldo H. Rosales, the annual production data of coconut
(whole nut) and its prevailing farmgate price;

Municipal Planning & Development Office (MPDO): The Office

requested from MPD Officer Dr. Joevell P. Jovellano for a
certification/declaration whether the road lots indicated in the
approved subdivision plan are included in the inventory;

Lastly, the Office requested from Calauan Municipal Mayor Roseller G.

Caratihan for the issuance of a Certificate of Posting Compliance.

Description of the Property:

Based on the result of the validation activities done and the actual
survey of the 30 hectares retention of the Delos Reyes, the excess
area is 13.5282 hectares which was classified/ categorized as
follows:

Area Classification Remarks

(in hectares)
1.7014 Flat and developed With farm lot/s and home lot/s
11.1551 Hilly and mountainous Sloping
0.4505 Eroded area
0.0791 Cell site Included in the retention area
0.1421 Right of way For road network within the
barangay
13.5282

ACTIONS TAKEN:
The subsequent coverage of the Delos Reyes property has gone a long
and arduous process. To this end, DAR Laguna has ensured the
transparency, truthfulness and integrity of the activities done to finally
identify the farmers and residents who can be the potential
beneficiaries of the land.

Based on our existing rules and procedures, the subsequent coverage

of the area may not be considered as straight forward process. It is
however the most equitable and justifiable way to bring social justice
to the disadvantaged group of farmers and residents in the area.

Under Republic Act 6657 and Administrative Order No. 12, Series of
1991, only farmers with farm lot are eligible to be awarded with a
home lot. Cognizant of this Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) will
outright reject and refuse to value home lot areas for farmers without
any farm lot, thus valuation of the area will turn out to be an issue
with LBP unless the approval or consent of the DAR management for
this matter can be secured.

PRESENT STATUS:

28 December 2022 – Memorandum of Valuation (MOV) was issued

by Acting Head Maria Magdalena G. Espiritu, Agrarian Operations
Center (Region IV) of LBP for the 11.1551 hectares.

10 January 2023 – Dialogue with SAMMABICL and PESANTE

members held at Calauan, Laguna upon the initiation of DILG was
attended by PARPO II Antonio B. Sanchez and his staff, to answer the
queries, issues and concerns regarding the coverage of the remaining
areas.

• As of 19 July 2023, DAR is waiting for the

allocation/release of the Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF) for
the subject property.
Prepared by:

ANALY F. CUTAY
ARPO II/PQRO

Noted by:

ANTONIO B. SANCHEZ
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II