THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has dispatched three teams to conduct a ground validation and relocation survey to help settle a triboundary land dispute involving two towns in Central Mindanao.
With the conduct of the ground validation and relocation survey, concerned local governments hope to prevent any untoward incident between and among the contesting parties.
A total of 13 validators and two survey teams will look into the relocation and subdivision survey of affected areas of Columbio, Sultan Kudarat, and Talunan, North Cotabato.
The ground validation and relocation survey will be conducted starting this month until July.
The DAR previously met with farmers in the area, informing them of the activity before sending off the teams to start ground validation and relocation survey, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Marion Abella said.
The relocation survey in the disputed areas and identification of actual occupants will be conducted in a total of 92 lots affecting 435 agrarian-reform beneficiaries. Out of 92 lots, 55 were contested.
The relocation and subdivision survey will be done in three separate sites with a combined area of 2,478 hectares.
Since last year, the DAR has been conducting a series of meetings with concerned government officials and military officers in the area to formulate a systematic action plan to facilitate the speedy resolution of the Columbio-Tulunan Boundary Conflict.
To recall, the DAR created the Regional Task Force on Columbio-Tulunan Triboundary Conflict, composed of representatives of the concerned national and local governments.