DAR E. Visayas’ SPLIT implementation impresses WB

By JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA
March 25, 2025

ALANGALANG, Leyte – World Bank task team leader, Theresa Quiñonez, expressed satisfaction with how the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project is being implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Eastern Visayas over the past four years.

Quiñonez said during the 11th Implementation Support Mission (ISM) held in this region from March 19 to 21 this year, “I am very happy to see the progress made in Region-8.” “Based on what we have heard from the ARBs (agrarian reform beneficiaries), they are happy with the process of SPLIT, how the DAR had conducted the activities under SPLIT, ensuring participation as well as in decision making of ARBs,” she added.

Together with other World Bank representatives, Quiñonez proceeded to Barangay Borseth in this town, some 30 kilometers away from Tacloban City, on the first day, despite heavy rains, and had a consultation-dialogue with ARBs who are recipients of the SPLIT Project.

The World Bank team, accompanied by representatives from the Central Project Management Office (CPMO) of DAR, were happy to note that the ARBs were fully informed and understood the purpose of the SPLIT Project after each one of them were asked to share their individual experiences related to SPLIT implementation.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Agrarian Reform Office (MARO) personnel were likewise commended for knowing the process and doing their job correctly after they were asked to demonstrate the steps in conducting the “pulong-pulong.”

Though, the team decided to forego the observation of the actual conduct of the survey due to the inclement weather, Quiñonez likewise commended how this region accomplished survey activities conducted by administration.

Assistant Regional Director for Operations, Renato Badilla, reported that survey conducted by administration was more efficient and effective over survey conducted by contract. Badilla explained that field activities were completed in a shorter period with surveys conducted by administration.

Further, DAR Eastern Visayas Regional Director, Atty. Robert Anthony Yu, disclosed to the World Bank that “field validation throughout the region is already completed, while redocumentation activities by the MAROs are being monitored daily to make sure that we be able to deliver our target this year.”

ISM, according to Quiñonez, is being conducted jointly by the World Bank and DAR every six months to see the progress of the SPLIT Project as well as determine the areas that need improvement to expedite its implementation. SPLIT Project is going to end in 2027.