The Land Management Services (LMS) of the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy – BARMM began carrying out the Inspection, Verification and Approval of Survey (IVAS) returns as part of the joint validation by the MENRE and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) of the concerned landholdings with approved survey plans located in the Provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Sulu.

The IVAS returns implementation, which commenced in Lanao del Sur on 25-28 October 2021, was conducted to assist the MAFAR in fast-tracking the generation of Emancipation Patent (EP)/Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) titles.

The LMS team was led by its Regional Surveys Division, spearheaded by Chief Engr. Misuari B. Macamimis, together with Engr. Salipada H. Quituar, Jr., and Engr. Bolkiah A. Mamadsual.

Leading the joint validation was MAFAR, being the primary agency mandated to implement land reforms in the Bangsamoro region. Their team was represented by CARPO Jarratul S. Radjid of the Land Acquisition and Distribution Division, OIC – CARPO Engr. Khomenie U. Tayuan of the Post Land Transfer and Documentation Section, Engr. Basir M. Anok of LTI Survey and Mapping Section and ARPO II Norely T. Bantuas of LTI Survey and Mapping Section.

Further, the Cacacho Surveying Office & Engineering Services, having the expertise, equipment, and technology, served as the third-party outsourced by the MAFAR to provide the technical support necessary to execute various validation operations.

Through coordination with proper authorities, including the concerned Municipal Local Government Units, and with the assistance from MAFAR Provincial Offices, the joint team preceded with the 2-week field operations in the BARMM Island Provinces, particularly in Basilan and Sulu on 2-13 November 2021. The MENRE representatives led in overseeing the day-to-day operations from map projection to recovering reference monuments on the ground or re-establishing boundary marks.

To conclude the joint MAFAR-MENRE validation, the concerned landholdings situated in the Province of Maguindanao were validated on the ground on November 17-19, 2021.