City council probes grant of huge gov’t lot to association

11 agencies, ex-Baguio execs gave authorization’ 

By Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY -- The City Council is now probing claims of an urban poor organization over a disputed 18.49-hectare land within city government property here covering Sto. Tomas- Apugan, Sto. Tomas Proper and Camp 7.
    During their regular session Monday, city councilors came to know members of Everlasting Pinegold Community Association, Inc. (EPCAI) have resettled in said areas following pre-proclamation of the 18.49-hectare land in favor of the association with the approval of 11 agencies.
    EPCAI president Maria Leonora Jordan said the association had gone through stringent process to ensure its members were qualified as beneficiaries of social housing.
    Dolores Balagat, representative of the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources-Cordillera, said the 18.49-hectare land within the 158-hectare city government property was identified for low-cost housing.
    The said land was surveyed as Special Work Order (SWO)-CAR-000967 in the name of the city government and was identified as a social housing site for the EPCAI upon the request of then Mayor Mauricio Domogan.
    The survey plan was approved by the regional DENR-CAR. 
    Balagat said the DENR does not favor entities when declaring lands as alienable and disposable pursuant to the Public Land Act and it was the city government under the administration of Domogan that identified the 18.49 hectares to be used by the EPCAI as relocation site. 
    Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan, however, questioned the move of the DENR to approve the survey plan without verifying whether the former chief executive was given authority by the city council to grant the land to the EPCAI. 
     “The 158 hectares is reserved for city land use needs. You cannot simply award that land to one association. In the city, land disposition is only either through Townsite Sales Application or Miscellaneous Sales Application,” Olowan said. 
     “There are people who do not have a lot in the city, and yet you (DENR-CAR) allowed that 18.49-hectare land to be given to an association. And that is contradictory to the law,” he added.
    Councilor Benny Bomogao said decisions of the city government involving land disposition need confirmation or approval of the city council through a resolution or an ordinance.
    Jordan said the EPCAI should not be placed at a disadvantage as they had gone through  necessary procedures to legitimize their claims over the land and they had introduced many developments in the area. 
    The association had been involved in several land disputes with other land claimants in the area for many years.
    In May 2020, Sto. Tomas Community Neighborhood Association sought the help of the city council for the cancellation of SWO-CAR-000976 on the grounds that the EPCAI had allegedly encroached into their property.
    The appeal of the neighborhood association was referred to the city council’s committee on urban planning, lands, and housing chaired by Councilor Fred Bagbagen and has yet to be acted on by the committee.
    The request for the cancellation of SWO-CAR-000976 was brought up during the council’s regular session on Sept. 14, 2020. 
    Engr.  Benjamin A. Ventura, DENR representative, said SWO-CAR-000976 can be cancelled upon the request of the city government citing the reasons for its cancellation.
    Balagat said the 18.49-hectare land will remain in the name of the city government even if SWO-CAR-000976 gets cancelled since it is part of the 158-hectare land identified for the city’s multi-land use.
    The city council referred the matter again to the committee on urban planning, lands and housing to be studied further in aid of legislation.