DepEd seeks to resolve school site titling issues

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines - The big number of public elementary and secondary schools without appropriate land titles in Mindanao and some parts of the country has prompted the Department of Education (DepEd) to organize recently a National Task Force on School Site Titling (NTFSST).

This was learned from A. Luistro through DepEd which was received here lately by the office of Albos.

DepEd Region 9 Director Walter Albos quoted Education Secretary Armin Luistro’s Order No. 33, s. 2011 as explaining that the move is designed to finally establish ownership of school sites occupied by schools most of them located in the Southern Philippines where many basic education learning centers, for one reason or another, have not legally secured yet their school site titles.

Albos expressed fears that the prevalence of untitled school sites in the country’s second largest island region could later encourage their original donors to claim back their lands which could bring about serious physical problems to the DepEd which has constructed permanent buildings in the said untitled lands.

Luistro directed the NTFSST to implement effectively its three major functions and responsibilities which concern database, technical and legal aspects.

According to Albos, the DepEd chief has enjoined the task force to initially maintain a school site database to, among other things, provide needed information to national government agencies, Congress and local government units (LGUs); to classify, update and tabulate data on nationwide inventory of school sites, and to manage records of ownership/occupancy and relevant documents on school sites titling.

Luistro also tasked the body, under its technical function, to identify and recommend appropriate ways and programs to facilitate the titling of untitled school sites in the name of the DepEd and Republic of the Philippines as well as to secure periodic accomplishments of the Land Registration Authority (LRA) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The NTFSST was also required by to review and recommend legal actions on school sites with adverse claims and coordinate with concerned LGUs on problems related to school sites including eviction of illegal settlers even as he advised the same DepEd body to prepare legal documentation regarding school sites such as deeds of donation, deeds of sale, deeds of exchange, usufruct agreements and other contracts with government agencies involved in school site titling and transfer of ownership.

The DepEd chief designated the Education Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs as NTFSST chairperson and eight other central office personnel as members.