MPSPC plan to buy land for university status derailed

By Roger Sacyaten

BONTOC, Mountain Province – The only state college here, vying to become a university is facing challenges, particularly in its plan to purchase required land as part of requirements imposed by the government.

To be accredited and ready to become a university, the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC) needs to have in its ownership a 3-hectare lot contiguous to its main campus, among other requirements.

For this purpose, an allocation has been accordingly provided for under the 2016 budget of the school.

The school management called for submission of offers to sell the needed land from the public for consideration.  

A voluntary offer to sell was made to college management by one Francis Pel-ey, owner of a 3-hectare land at Sitio Faliling above the town towards Barangay Maligcong.

That was the basis of the college in conducting consultations as part of the process of acquisition, according to Rogelio Balcita, Jr., vice president for administration and finance of the college.

The same area was earlier offered to the municipal government years ago for waste disposal facility but the offer was spurned due to oppositions from some quarters.

During the much publicized public consultation conducted May 14 at the college auditorium, participants endorsed the plan of the college to buy the land after VP Balcita said the intention to buy a 3-hectare land for the college was in compliance to the requirement of Commission on Higher Education that noted the lack of space for the local school institution.

However, such endorsement was marred by a question on the claim of ownership of the land subject of acquisition.

“We are not opposing the plan of the school to acquire the land but we question the ownership of the land,” said Anacleto Tangilag who claimed  the one who offered to sell was not the only owner of the land.

Balcita, who presided over the consultation, clarified that the college started the process of acquisition based on documents in their possession that pointed to Pel-ey as the owner.

He said the process, assessments including assurance of no legal impediments will be done in next consultations.

Pel-ey urged Tangilag to present whoever is claiming to own the land, in part or in whole, or a member of the claimed ‘tumayan’.

He reiterated that he is the owner.

After much discussion that at times turned with heated arguments for the parties in interests, it was agreed upon that a consultation will be conducted within the week with all the members of the clan, if any, claiming to be owners of the land.

Tangilag, who also initially referred other areas for the college to buy, committed to contact the people in interest to attend the consultation which should have been done before Thursday.

However, as of Thursday, no notice of consultation was issued. 

It was learned that the only offer made to the college was that of Pel-ey while the school management is still inviting the public to submit other offer/s, if there be any, to be considered.

“Time is running out for the college to comply with the requirements. We would like to facilitate the completion of the requirements”, said Balcita.

Meanwhile, Balcita informed the participants that a team from the college had earlier conducted an ocular inspection on the site in the presence of the seller and some members of the community.

A technical plan will be prepared for the development of the area for submission to Rep. Maximo Dalog and higher authorities for funding consideration.

Building structures and the access road which is about one kilometer will be constructed on site as part of the plan.