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Baguio dads give views on city charter bill

BAGUIO CITY (Oct. 21) — Sangguniang Panlungsod members will be submitting within a week suggestions and inputs for inclusion into the 96-page proposed House Bill 3617, An Act Revising the Charter of the City of Baguio, introduced by Congressman Mauricio G. Domogan during the first Regular Session of the 13th Congress.

This was firmed up Friday, October 21, 2005 as the Domogan met with city officials led by Vice-Mayor Peter Rey Bautista for an in-depth presentation of the proposed City Charter revisions and also to gather their reactions.

Aside from Bautista, the councilors who attended the meeting were SK Federation Chair Leonardo Bayan, Jr.; Erdolfo Balajadia, Elmer Datuin, Daniel Fariñas, Federico Mandapat, Jose Molintas, Barangay Councils Federation Chair Rufino Panagan, Perlita Chan-Rondez, Antonio Tabora, Jr., Edilberto Teñefrancia and Leandro Yangot, Jr. Also present were Department of Education OIC Regional Director Tomas Tumamao, OIC City Schools Superintendent Ceferino Cawaon and former City Architect and Presidential Adviser on Cordillera Affairs Joseph Alabanza.

One of the main discussion points was the issue of lands. As a solution to the squatting problem and alleged graft in the disposition of lands, House Bill 3617 is proposing that all alienable and disposable lands within the Baguo Townsite reservation shall be titled in the name of the City so that it can exercise its power and authority over these in accordance with its approved land use plan and eventually dispose the same to qualified occupants or applicants.

Teñefrancia said this titling of lands may be drastic as these become patrimonial property of the city. Molintas said this is akin to reverse cadastral proceedings and instead proposed that the city lobby with the President to expand membership of the A.O. 504 Committee tasked to validate land claims in the city while Fariñas said there is a need to inventory land claimants and applicants whether these are under the townsite or miscellaneous sales applications as well as ancestral claims whether there are 2ll claims, Special Order 30, DENR DAO-02 or under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act.

Mandapat favored titling so that the city has absolute authority over lands within the city reservation and take over the disposition of such lands which has been the source of alleged graft. There have been times when the City Council passed resolutions and ordinances setting aside certain lands for public purposes such as schools, playgrounds and barangay buildings among others’ only to be disregarded by the DENR and awarded to applicants, Mandapat said.

Panagan also favors such titling and pointed to the South Sanitary Camp experience whereby the city supervised the subdivision of lands, disposed these off to actual occupants who worked for the titling of homelots as their private property.

Bautista, Tenefrancia and Balajadia pointed out that the Committee tasked to award the said lands composed of the Mayor as Chair; the Chairman of the Sanggunian Committee on Lands, Housing and Relocation as Vice and the City Assessor as member could be vested with so much power.

Domogan acceded saying the Sanggunian could improve the wordings of the particular section, include other offices and even propose that the committee recommendations be subject to Sanggunian approval. He Congressman also asked Council members to submit other inputs possibly within a week as he is working on a timetable that the bill will be up for discussion by the bi-cameral committee of both houses of Congress by the end of the year.

Tabora raised the possible inclusion of a proviso on the hiring of city-paid police officer and teachers. Rondez produced a handwritten sheet saying she is looking into possible conflicts with the Local Government Code and she will finalize her suggestions and submit it to the congressman’s City Hall District Office. Balajadia and Tenefrancia will submit drafts on hazardous and uninhabitable land areas, possible community service for offenders of city ordinances and on the restructuring and reorganization of city offices among others.

Former City Architect Alabanza will be working with the congressman’s staff to design a new logo and seal for the city as there was a unanimous view that the Baguio City seal conceptualized and designed by the Philippine Commission and incorporated on September 1, 1909 is not reflective of present city conditions. # Nathan Alcantara

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