PENROs mandated to issue patents on school grounds

By Roger Sacyaten

BONTOC, Mountain Province – School sites nationwide may now be titled in the name of schools.

This was learned during a press conference at the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office here.

PENRO officer in charge Octavio Cuanso said recent DENR administrative order made it easier for schools to apply for documentation including issuance of titles over school sites at provincial levels.

The order is in compliance to Republic Act 10023 “An Act Authorizing the Issuance of Free Patents to Residential Areas,” specifically promulgating guidelines for the public school sites.

Cuanso said Administrative Order 2015-1 dated March 4, 2015 covers alienable and disposable public lands agricultural lands actually possessed, occupied and used for public schools of all levels and classification under the supervision and control of the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education regardless of period of possession.

All lands devoted to providing education and education related services such as, but not limited to, those used for offices, canteens, gardens, athletic fields, sports complex, sports courts, clinic, gymnasiums, car parks, science centers, nature parks, and other related areas are also covered, he said.

It was also learned that school sites with existing proclamations but are still untitled are also covered under this Order for issuance of Special Patents.

Special Patent is a public instrument issued by the government confirming the grant by the State of ownership over a parcel of agricultural land in favor of a grantee.

Assistant Schools Division superintendent Nestor Bolayo said 90 percent of school sites in the province, mostly donations, are undocumented.

It was gathered that the present problem in school sites is the penchant of previous donors or their relatives in taking back donated lots, either in part or in whole.

Details on this concern were not secured as the responsible people holding the records were not in the office at the time of this writing.

“It is good that the processing and documentation of the schools sites is now downloaded to the provincial level,” Bolayo said.

Under the guidelines, the Schools Division superintendent or any authorized officer at the DepEd central office may request for the issuance of a school site Special Patent.

For school sites under the jurisdiction of the CHED, any authorized officer of the CHED or higher educational institution may request for the issuance of the special patent.

The requirements provided in the guidelines are the request for the issuance of Special Patent, historical background of possession, recent photographs showing the panoramic view of the area, and certification of no pending land registration application over the area.

Applications may be filed at the office of the PENRO or Community Environment and Natural Resources Office.

The CENRO will conduct ocular inspections, related investigations, mapping and survey of the area before the approval of said application.

The order signed by DENR Secretary Ramon Paje provided forms needed and the flowchart of the processing and issuance of the Special Patents.

Bolayo said many schools will avail of this opportunity for them to document the school sites.