Land titles given to Ifugao town folks

By Jun Kindipan Dumar

AGUINALDO, Ifugao – A total of 94 land titles were distributed to land owners here July 4 by Gov. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. assisted by officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Registry of Deeds in this province.

“We are fortunate in this province that we have lands to occupy,” said Baguilat Jr. “While they have squatters in other provinces or cities like Manila, we have vacant lots in Ifugao, and that’s a big difference.

Most if not all of the lands that were granted titles are for agricultural purposes, and suitable for planting corn.

Aguinaldo is one of the top producers of corn in the country according to Baguilat.

With a payment of P72 for the survey conducted by DENR, each of the title owners claimed their land’s legal documents, but are prohibited by the ROD to sell, mortgage, or transfer to anybody the title for five years. The prohibition was written on the legal land title.

All titled lands are located at disputed Dolowog, a barangay being claimed by the municipalities of Alfonso-Lista and Aguinaldo.

On the issue of the land dispute of Dolowog between Aguinaldo and Alfonso-Lista, Baguilat urged land owners to let sanguniang panlalawigan settle it.

Local officials of the two towns who were present during the land distribution said they will try to settle the dispute so it would not become a big problem.

Payment for real property taxes shall reportedly be paid in a trust fund account wherein the municipality which would have jurisdiction over the area could claim the taxes.