Mayor backs free patent implementation in Baguio

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said he was supporting implementation of the Free Patent Law in the city which will benefit qualified home lot applicants contrary to the insinuations by his critics that he is against the same.

But he added implementation of the law must be within its metes and bounds, especially provisions which clearly state that lands occupied by residents having a land area of 200 square meters or less are covered by the so-called free patent, thus, qualified residents occupying the aforesaid lands must already avail of the free patent.

In the city, there are two ways on how to acquire ownership of lands, particularly the Townsite Sales Application (TSA) and the Miscellaneous Sales Application (MSA) prior to the passage of the Free Patent Law.

Domogan said occupied homelots having a land area of more than 200 square meters must pass other forms of acquiring ownership such as the TSA and MSA instead of trying to circumvent the law by trying to subdivide their properties just to comply with the 200 square meters limitation under the free patent law.

He urged officials of the Cordillera office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to stick to provisions of the Free Patent Law limiting the land area to be covered by a free patent to only 200 square meters and not to facilitate the circumvention of the law by spearheading the subdivision of their properties so that the same will be compliant to avail of the free patent.

According to him, property owners with more than 200 square meters must follow either the TSA or MSA modes in legitimizing ownership considering that the same will benefit the local government as it will be purchased by the owner unlike in free patent that the recognition of rights over such property will be given out for free.

The local chief executive revealed the city’s land area is now limited and subjecting its lands to free patent will result to rapid urbanization that will be detrimental in sustaining its current status as the country’s undisputed Summer Capital which will lead to the loss of its cool and romantic weather and scenic spots that serve as a natural pull for foreign and domestic tourists to visit the city.

He called on residents with occupied lands measuring 200 meters or less to already avail of the free patent with the DENR but warned individuals trying to circumvent the provisions of the law that the city government will strictly monitor the same so that those that need to undergo the TSA and MSA process will not be subdivided so that they will be able to pass the limitations of the free patent, saying that the local government will be at a loss once they will allow the circumvention of the free patent law just to accommodate everyone.

When the government started to implement the provisions of the free patent law, many TSA and MSA applicants have started to subdivide their respective applications in order to comply with the limitations of the free patent law but the same was prevented by concerned government agencies who were able to observe a drastic move to subdivide existing applications in order to be given out for free.