Aguila ng Bayan accomplishes orders to help solve city’s land problems

March 29, 2019 Headlines

In his three years at the city council, mayoral bet Edgar Avila aced in his accomplishment of the marching orders of Mayor Mauricio Domogan to help settle the city’s land problems, as chairman of the Committee on Urban Planning, Lands and Housing, Land Zoning Board of Adjustments and Appeals and City Land Needs and Identification of the Sangguniang Panglusod.
Among which is the filing and passing of Ordinance No. 89 series of 2018 which provides for a moratorium on the demolition orders for thosethat are in actual and physical possession of public lands for 30 years or more, and allowing tax declarations as basis for the issuance of building permits.
Ordinance 89-2018 rationalizes the special nature of lands in Baguio City where majority of its constituents were not given the opportunity to have the lands they have occupied be titled under the present Torrens system. They have always been threatened of being declared as illegal settlers thus violating the National Building Code of the Philippines.
Oppositors, claimants, prospective buyers and speculators have repeatedly used a complaint for violation of such law or building without permit as a potent weapon to dispossess, harass, or even grab possession and ownership over their lands.
The ordinance, which intends to provide measures that limit the impact of the national law to the rights of the people, provides that a person in actual and physical possession of a public land for 30 years or more may get a mayor’s status quo order upon the recommendation of the Urban Planning committee chairman, provided that a structure has been built therein and within such period, such person has declared the improvements there for taxation purposes with the Office of the Assessor.
The City Building Official is also authorized to issue building permits to the applicant that possesses the mentioned qualifications.
With the ordinance authored by Avila, the approval of an MSO suspends the effects of demolition order issue of the City Anti-squatting Group for 10 years to afford the applicant the last opportunity to perfect his or her claim, application, and/or award into a private right.
Under Avila’s watch, 1,300 land applications for alienable and disposable lands were awarded to Baguio constituents. A total of 942 residential free patent applications were approved and awarded to actual occupants in the different barangays in the city.
Two hundred twenty-two areas were also identified as reserved for public needs in Loakan Apugan, Sto. Tomoas School area, Fairview, Upper Q.M., Victoria Village, M. Roxas, Loakan Proper, Poliwes, Pacdal, Upper Quezon Hill, Asin Road, Pinsao Pilot Project, Cresencia Village, Camdas, Lucnab, West Quirino Hil, Holy Ghost Proper, Lower Rock Quarry, and Irisan.
A total of 315 requests to the Local Zoning Board and Appeals were also approved.
Twelve school buildings were also built and turned over without expense to the government to Barangay Irisan, Quezon Hill, Gibraltar, Asin Road, DPS Compound, and Apugan Sto. Tomas, through Avila’s efforts.
He also passed the Comprehensive Land Use Ordinance of the City of Baguio.
 
by: Tony Quidangen