"Boundary disputes" remain the biggest challenge in the distribution of lands covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in Mindanao, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) officials said Tuesday.

This was emphasized by Agrarian Reform Undersecretary for Mindanao Affairs Amihilda Sangcopan in a forum in Quezon City on Tuesday.

"When it comes to the coverage in BARMM, basically the biggest challenge that we experience are boundary disputes, at some point the DAR has to face some issues of spurious titles," she said.

"An interagency (body) was created but at the end of the day, after how many years from the creation (of the body) and all the tasks being done I think only few spurious titles were discovered," she added.

Sangcopan said that when talking with "three major tribes, the Tausug, Maranao, and the Maguindanaon, there should be a clear land tenurial mechanism"

"After the research confluence we will entertain our new policy called the Customary Land Tenure System and the creation of its registry is still under our Land Legislation Authority," she said.

Sangcopan explained that the clan wars may not end after the research confluence but she expressed hope to find a solution on resolving the ridos before the end of the Marcos administration.

"We cannot say that clan wars will end after the research confluence. What we can say if it gets funded this year that's what we're working on. We'll be starting the research confluence and it will run by next year and it will run for the next 3 years," she said.

"We're hoping that before the end of the term of the President by the end of 2027 it is already clear to us, we will have an inventory of the ridos and on how it will be resolved," she added.

In his speech in Davao last February, Marcos vowed to complete the distribution of all lands covered by the CARP before his term ends in 2028. Robina Asido/DMS