[ Manila Bulletin Online ] June 7, 2008
Pending approval by Baguio council of rules on disposal of public lands
By DEXTER A. SEE
BAGUIO CITY – City officials are asking the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to suspend the processing and granting of patents for townsite sales applications (TSAs) in this mountain resort city pending approval by the city council of the revised rules of procedure governing the disposal of public lands.
The official said there are pressing issues and concerns regarding the disposition of public lands which need to be resolved first.
The DENR suspended the processing of all TSAs in September 2005 to allow the city government to identify areas needed for pubic purposes. This was aimed at avoiding further conflicts with private applications for the same lots.
However, the moratorium was lifted in the mid-2006 with the DENR coming out with revised rules of procedure and guidelines on the grant of TSAs covering alienable and disposable public lands in the city.
Memorandum Circular 2007-11 states that there is a need to ensure that the lands must be awarded to the greatest number of deserving and qualified applicants, taking into consideration vital and imperative measures to ensure sustainable development.
City officials cited the need to reconsider the memorandum, saying that the city government must ensure that the general interests of the city, such as protection of land for public purposes and the welfare of the bonafide residents, are taken into account.
In particular, the city council raised concern about a report of the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau that a big portion of the city’s land area is geologically hazardous.
With more than half of the 57 square kilometers territory of the city classified as highly susceptible to land-mass movement, the council said there is reason to review prevailing policies on the disposition of public lands for residential and commercial purposes because they may be putting the lives and properties of the people in danger.
When the moratorium on TSAs was lifted, Cordillera DENR officials vowed that the agency, through the Administrative Order 504, would be rigorous in processing TSAs so that only legitimate applications are granted.
However, some sectors in the city continue to question the allegedly anomalous system of the processing and granting of TSAs, noting that prime lots are given to moneyed individuals instead of the qualified and deserving beneficiaries.
The limited land area of the city has become the subject of land speculators who want to make huge profits.
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