LRA marks 110th anniversary today

MANILA, Philippines - The Land Registration Authority (LRA) is accelerating its computerization of all land titles in the Philippines, timed with the observance of its 110th anniversary today at the LRA headquarters on East Ave., Quezon City.

Guest of honor and speaker at the event is Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. The LRA is administratively under the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The justice secretary’s speech will be preceded by a switch-on ceremony, showing an illuminated map that indicates registries of deeds nationwide that have already activated their computerization processes.

Billed “Land Titling Computerization Project,” the conversion from paper-based titles to e-titles, is a build-operate-own (BOO) agreement between the LRA and the Land Registration Systems, Inc. (Lares).

As of latest count, about 92 percent of 12 million old paper land titles have been converted into digital files, making LRA the biggest data bank of one of the most important documents held by individuals or corporations.

This according to LRA Administrator Eulalio C. Diaz III, who added that the Agency is “on a fast track mode in persuading land owners to surrender their old titles for conversion into computerized titles.

Ronald A. Ortile, LRA deputy administrator, said e-Titles are free from damage or loss. “Even if an RD office is gutted by fire for some reason, we can always reconstruct the same database,” he pointed out.