Mayor Will Have Power to Dispose of Public Lands
According to this news report:
“The significant amendments to House Bill (HB) 2813 or the Act Revising the Baguio City charter is the titling of all lands, including the 211 titles in the name of the City Government. The 221 titles, or the so-called Igorot titles, were declared null and void by the Supreme Court (SC) after a long drawn out court battle.
Under the proposal, a selection committee headed by the mayor may dispose the public lands through public bidding.
While this process appears to give equal opportunity for every Baguio resident to own parcels of land, the Ipadegg said this process would disqualify families who are already occupying lots and have introduced improvements in favor of the wealthy.
“HB 2813 deprives the rights of ownership of people in actual occupation of lands,” the Ipadegg said.
“Instead, titles should be issued to actual occupants,” the group said while lamenting the alleged name calling done by Domogan in one committee hearing at Congress last March 12.”
Honestly, I do not trust Congressman Domogan’s motives for anything after the way he railroaded the building that BGH flyover. But giving the mayor of Baguio (which I am sure is the next position he will seek in 2010, after enjoying 3 terms as Congressman) this power will make the mayor nothing short of God as far as land disposition is concerned.
I believe public land should never be converted to privately-owned property, occupied or not, regardless of the economic status of the occupant. I believe that public land should remain public land for the enjoyment of all persons. I am sorry if this offends a lot of the ’squatters’ and land-grabbers in Baguio, or those not so poor people who have appropriated for themselves lands, including forest reserves, due to the sick ‘palakasan’ system that prevails in this country.
I believe that we should occupy public lands, pay taxes thereon, introduce small improvements ONLY for the purpose of planting, working the soil and greening the earth. Other than that, to get them titled and converted to hotels and the like, should never happen
I believe that it is the concept of private property that sowed the seeds of greed. Most folks in this world have been made to think that the measure of success is how much material wealth we possess, including land.
The way we have distorted the laws on property ownership is simply sad, too. And the way we pour cement of every inch of the property. I hate the way easements on light and view are never followed. I abhor encroachments on public property, including sidewalks, which should be enjoyed by all.
I wish we lived in a planet where we do not have to fear for our person and possessions, where we should not have to build walls, with people who trust the Creator enough to just harvest what they need for the day without wanting to take today all that is needed for the lifetime ‘bread’ of all their decendants who have yet to be born.
It is this concept of private property that is biased in favor of the greedy that keeps our country poor. I believe that we should all be entitled to harvest fruits for our daily consumption from all the trees, and have free water. I believe we should all be entitled to catch just enough fish for us to eat, and that nobody else should be allowed to dynamite all the fish in our seas in the name of commerce.
Finally, please be reminded that with or without the Baguio charter revised, the mayor of Baguio may dispose of public land like Burnham Park by simply getting the approval of the Secretary of the Department of Tourism. What a fatal combination — a mayor in Baguio whose family is rich enough to purchase Burnham Park and a tourism chief from Cebu.
Just thought to let you know.
Ma’am,
Sino po bang single pa sa pamilya ni Mayor?
Hi Lola,
Si Phil, si Diego, si Gabs, si Eds, pulos mga kaibigan ko po.
May apo po ba kayong irereto?
Lisa, our city should identify lands that will forever be open spaces and off-limit to further structures. Areas such as Burnham Park, Forbes Park along South Drive, the stretch of Loakan Road where the pine trees still are, our watershed areas, etc. Again, one may ask, is this so hard to do?
Hi Resty,
The laws of the Philippines have identified public lands — those that are not issued an original certificate of title, those that are parks, watersheds, forests.
The thing is, because man is greedy and wants something for nothing, he finds ways to circumvent the laws to find ways to make public property PRIVATE property.
Worse yet, when property is private, we then circumvent all building laws and the laws of good taste and beauty to MAXIMIZE our use of the same. Just look at our ‘campuses,’ the houses in Baguio.
When I warn folks of dangers, I am so afraid that this will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. But it’s better to awaken the people, to be vigilant, because it is our apathy that allows the will of the greedy to prevail.
Lisa, in Ilocano, na sirib, in Tagalog, gulang. That’s what we’re good at, haha. Let’s see how councilors Carino and Bagbagen do with the contested land in front of city hall that should never have been titled but was.
Hi Resty,
Is this the way to acquire Baguio real estate? Gulang? I always thought that the proper way to purchase property would be to buy titled land.
I was also raised to think that politicians were public servants, honorable and statesmen, with love of country more important than love of self.
lisa, i don’t think our elected city officials had something to do with that sale of the land being contested now in front of city hall. unless the buyer had backing from at least one. more likely, it was in connivance with the govt personnel inside city hall that the buyer was able to acquire it.
remember the jadewell fiasco? that insertion of additional streets which wasn’t originally in the agreement. who dunnit?
then the controversy regarding a subdivision developer who had a property surveyed, these are technical terms i’m might be using wrongly. but anyway, they were expanding it to include other people’s properties i believe. it was former mayor yaranon who brought this up and was proved true just recently.
This is bad. Very bad. We must be vigilant of the goings-on in the city hall! Yung cars pa lang na bibilhin for private use nila is just the tip of the iceberg. And it’s construction everywhere in Baguio City!
Hi Nick!
Yup, we must be vigilant and go on a personal campaign to awaken the citizenry, too.
Burnham Park must remain public land forever. The local government should maintain it AS A NECESSARY EXPENSE to provide Baguio with a WIDE GREEN OPEN SPACE in the center of town.