Special patents for schools fast tracked, decentralized

More school sites have been titled as the process of special patent issuance has been decentralized. 

                For 2015, 338 school sites in the Cordilleras were granted with special patents by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-CAR through its Provincial and Environment and Natural Resources Offices.

                The patents of 283 school sites were processed under the regular fund of the department while the other 55 were funded by the Department of Education-CAR.

Of the 283 funded by the DENR-CAR, special patents of 110 school sites were already submitted to the Register of Deeds (ROD) for registration while draft presidential proclamations of 173 school sites were submitted to the Land Management Bureau LMB) for review and finalization.

In Abra, 53 schools were granted of their request for special patent; 18 in Apayao; 86 in Ifugao; and 126 in Kalinga.

Meanwhile, special patents of 55 school sites across the region which were processed through funds from the Department of Education-CAR were also submitted to the ROD.

Of these, 25 are in Abra; 10 are in Benguet; 5 are in Apayao; 5 in Kalinga; 5 in Ifugao; and 2 in Mountain Province.

As per memorandum of agreement, the DENR-CAR and DepEd are supposed to work for the titling of 100 schools. However, funds provided by the DepEd could only cover 43 school sites hence the backlogs.

Pursuant to DENR Administrative Order No. 2015-01 which lists the guidelines for the processing and issuance of special patents for public school sites under the Residential Free Patent Act (RFPA), the power to approve special patent requests has been granted to the PENROs.

DENR-CAR Regional Director Ralph Pablo who pushed for the above-mentioned DAO during his term as the LMB Director said the current procedures for the issuance of special patents is easier and faster as long as the necessary documents such as technical survey, certifications and documentations are ready.

“The special patent which serves as a security of ownership of lots that schools occupy is very important. It will allow academic institutions to manage their areas and possibly introduce development/improvement in their school which will be beneficial to the students,” Pablo quipped.