Ancestral land claims over Baguio prime lots opposed

‘Legitimate lot claims honored’ 

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – The city government, is opposed on ancestral land claims in prime areas like Forbes Park and Wright Park forest reservations, but it is not opposed to  such claims in the city.  

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the city government recognizes legitimate ancestral land claims by indigenous peoples in the city pursuant to provisions of Republic Act (RA) 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA),

          He added while it is true that the city will continue to be governed by its century-old Charter and that all lands will remain under its townsite reservation, prior vested rights recognized by competent courts and quasi-judicial bodies before the effectivity of the law on November 1997 will remain valid.

He said vested rights include, ancestral land claims, road-right-of-way river easements among others and there were those who were found to have encroached on areas.

“While we are restricted from our law practice, we continue to provide legal advice to legitimate ancestral land claimants, especially to Ibalois, who frequently visit us to solicit our opinion on how to proceed with their claims among other related issues,” Domogan said.

The city government had objected to issuance of certificates of ancestral land titles (CALTs) to portions of the Forbes Park, Wright Park forest reservations, the Loakan Airport area and Bureau of Animal Industry within the Baguio Dairy Farm considering most of the CALTs that were issued were not part of the Igorot claims recognized by the courts and quasi-judicial bodies before effectivity of the IPRA.

According to him, even in proposed amendments to the century-old Charter of the city, one of the salient provisions incorporated in the proposed law was recognition of legitimate ancestral land claims pursuant to the provisions of IPRA among other related laws.

He said what is important now is the close coordination between the city government and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) so that ancestral land applicants will be appropriately screened in order to ascertain whether or not their applications fall within the vested rights that were recognized by the courts and quasai-judicial bodies before the effectivity of IPRA.

He added the passage of the necessary amendments to the City Charter will put an end to the city’s land woes because it will be able to solve the existing boundary dispute between the city and the neighboring Tuba municipality, identify alienable and disposable lands and put in order to classification of lands in the different parts of the city as well as how the same will be disposed.

Domogan called on individuals wanting to purchase lands in barangays to first verify and validate the status of the lands they intend to buy before releasing the necessary payments required from them so that they can be updated on what will be the status of the properties that they want to own to prevent further complications in the future.

Under the old City |Charter, lands in the city are within in the townsite reservations and disposal of alienable and disposable lands is through the townsite sales application filed with the AO 504 clearing committee.