CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government vows to continue distributing land titles to landless residents this year after it failed to hit its target last year.
The city’s Land Management Council headed by Jade Ponce failed to reach its target to distribute 1,000 land titles in 2014. Ponce said the city has only given out at least 164 land titles to bonafide beneficiaries.
“There is no problem on the part of the city in terms of speeding things up,” he said.
Ponce said the city government is dependent on how fast and efficient other agencies are, like the Land Management Bureau of the Department of Natural and Environment Resources-7 and Register of Deeds or the Land Registration Authority.
He said that there are processes that were centralized which added to the delay in the procedure.
“Kun sa city government lang, makaya ra man nga madali og hatag but, we involve other national agencies that we are not in control of,” he said.
Ponce said that LMC is eyeing to achieve the target land titles before the year ends.
On February 25, the city government has given Free Patent to at least 60 socialized homeowners from Barangays Tinago and Duljo Fatima.
On October 20, the city government has also distributed Residential Free Patent and Transfer of Certificate of Titles to at least 104 bonafide residents from Barangays Duljo-Fatima, Tinago, Kasambagan, and Bulacao.
Ponce said the distribution of land titles is in accordance with Republic Act No. 10023 otherwise known as the “Act Authorizing the Issuance of Free Patents to Residential Lands or Free Patent Act.”
As of press time, he said that there is an ongoing ground validation to at least 272 residents of Barangays Duljo-Fatima and Tinago.
“Dili man gyud ma-stop ang atong process. Ini’g human sa distribution, process napud for the next distribution,” he said.
Ponce said he is confident that the city government will be able to complete the remaining 936 land titles within the year. (FREEMAN)