Anomalies noted in public hearing on 211 titles: Baguio City unvalidated land claims given titles

By Julie G. Fianza

BAGUIO CITY-- Unvalidated land claims here under the city’s 211 titles  recently applied for at the local Land Registration Authority office have been “validated” and sold to unsuspecting buyers.

This surfaced during a public hearing on the city’s 211 titles headed by Council committee on urban planning, lands and housing chaired by Councilor Leandro Yangot, Jr., Thursday at city session hall which turned out to be a griping session of  constituents’ various land problems.

Yangot, Jr., told attendees objectives of the forum: to solicit inputs for approval of a proposed council resolution, that the solicitor general’s office will conduct “proper judicial proceedings” for Baguio’s 211 titles.

The proposal was for the SolGen’s office to either revert the 211 original titles to public land status, thus make them “alienable and disposable,”or to grant said lots to legitimate ancestral land claimants.

This would be for validated 211 titles, while unvalidated 211 titles still pose a problem, it was known.

Long-time occupants who had “peaceful, undisturbed possession,” of the lots would benefit from the move, Yangot, Jr. said, as it would legitimize them as land owners, and real property taxpayers.

Their application for building permits, light and water connection would also be legitimized, Yangot, Jr. added.

As to titled lots with seemingly no claimants, Yangot reiterated a trace-back or a trace for legitimate claimant-heirs. The councilor asked those with queries to present documents as to cases or claims within their barangays, either or not they are 211 claims.

Position papers would be appropriate, if the lot in question is for barangay use, Yangot, Jr. said.

Queries on long-time occupied titled and untitled lots; or those claims straddling valid and unvalid 211 titles, mineral land claims; forest reservations; occupied lots within a local government property and covered by a memorandum of agreement; application procedures; occupied lots under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Commission on Good Government, were among those dealt with during the forum.

A query was then raised as to unvalidated 211 claims which were recently applied for at the local Land Registration Authority office, validated and sold to unsuspecting buyers, Yangot said proper legal moves are being done.

The 211 titles’ record should be cleared, as some unscrupulous persons take advantage through false claims and speculation, Yangot said.

In an earlier privilege speech delivered at the city council, Yangot said government offices SolGen and the Department of Justice “settle the issue at their level by issuing an opinion that will clear the cobwebs, and craft the policies to serve as guidelines for the Register of Deeds, Land Registration Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources  and the city government to observe in dealing with unvalidated 211 titles.”

Yangot anchored his view on the presence of the native Ibaloi titles, where they were subjected to “historical injustice,” being forced out of their rightful claims through American “colonial government.”      

After his speech, however, Councilors Faustino Olowan, Peter Fianza, Richard Carino and Betty Lourdes Tabanda asked for a more thorough study of the proposal.

Queries have also been raised on authority to revert the 211 titles to public land status, or to affirm the veracity of ancestral land claimants.               

The next public hearing is scheduled on Jan. 16, 2014 at the multi-purpose hall.