Book 4, Title 0, Sec. 15The Bureau shall have the following functions:

Bureau of Land Tenure Development. - The Bureau shall have the following functions:

(1) Develop policies, plans and programs, and standard operating procedures in the acquisition and distribution of public and private agricultural lands, including measures to ensure that the lands distributed by the government to the beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program shall be subsequently transferred or sold only to qualified tenant-tillers, agricultural workers and other landless citizens;

(2) Design socio-economic survey plans and prescribe standards, guidelines and procedures in the conduct of such surveys in areas sought to be acquired or administered by the Department of Agrarian Reform;

(3) Develop standards for the valuation of lands placed under the agrarian reform program and formulate appropriate land compensation schemes for affected landowners;

(4) Formulate, general policies and guidelines in the identification of tillers and agricultural lands to be purchased or expropriated, subject of petitions or applications for the exercise of the right of pre-emption or redemption, or voluntarily offered for coverage under the agrarian reform program, and portions of the public domain which may be opened for settlement;

(5) Maintain a current inventory of tillers, landowners, land-holdings, including crops and production thereon, and other related records;

(6) Streamline procedures governing the titling of lands transferred to the beneficiaries of agrarian reform and the documentation of leasehold and other tenurial arrangements;

(7) Develop alternative tenurial or working arrangements or relationships in agrarian reform areas aimed at ensuring security of tenure and equitable distribution of income;

(8) Formulate policies, guidelines, standards, procedures and programs in the development and conduct of land tenure research;

(9) Identify areas of research relevant to land tenure, determine priority needs, and prepare land tenure research designs/proposals;

(10) Undertake operational research and evaluation studies on land tenure programs and projects;

(11) Monitor research findings on land tenure and other related studies by various research agencies;

(12) Review and evaluate documents for the generation, registration, and issuance of Emancipation Patents/Title, land valuation, and landowners compensation claims as to its completeness, accuracy and validity;

(13) Initiate verification and/or investigation of questionable or inconsistent documents as well as data or information critical for expeditious disposition of land transactions by authorities concerned; and

(14) Perform such other functions as may be provided by law.