Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje expressed gratitude to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for showcasing the Philippines’ Land Administration and Management Project Phase 2 (LAMP2) as an example of successful solution in support of rural and agricultural development during the 2011 Global South-South Development (GSSD) Expo held Dec. 5 at its headquarters in Rome, Italy.

“We are deeply honored every time our local actions get recognized by the international community. This only means that our efforts in introducing reforms in the land management sector, including the systems we have developed in land titling, land valuation and capacity building are responsive to the development needs of our people,” Paje said.
The GSSD Expo, the first ever expo held solely from the South and for the South showcases successful Southern-grown development solutions (SDSs) to address the need to meet Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with the support of the donor community and the multilateral system under innovative triangular and public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements.

In nominating the LAMP to the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the organizer for the GSSD Expo, FAO Land Tenure Service Chief Dr. Paul Munro-Faure said: “LAMP is an example of solution in a challenging environment where results are being achieved because of the commitment of the Government and of the key institutions and their teams to make these important changes.”

Abdul Kobakiwal, chief of FAO’s Integrated Food Security Support Service added, “The experience of the Philippines offers a comprehensive solution to improving land tenure regulation and land rights, which could inspire other developing countries”.

Aside from the nomination, LAMP2 also received a plaque of citation from His Excellency, Macharia Kamau, permanent representative of Kenya to the United Nations and president of the High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation, and from Yiping Zhou, director of the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

LAMP2 is a long-term commitment of the Philippine government to address poverty alleviation and promote economic growth through secure land tenure and equitable property valuation.

Aside from addressing key issues and fundamental problems in the land sector, the project also introduced and developed innovations and technologies to expedite titling procedures through cadastral surveys, systematic adjudication, land information and land records management, thus putting integrity to land titles.

Likewise, to improve the quality of government and private sector property appraisal performance, the DENR’s land administration and management project adopted a uniform valuation standards and a single valuation base for taxation.

“We still have a long way to go but with these new technologies, innovations and strategies introduced in our land titling system and land management, it is not far-fetched our people would finally realize their dreams of becoming land owners themselves, while setting an example for our neighboring countries to emulate,” Paje stressed.