GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/14 February) — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 12 is targeting the completion before yearend of 13 ongoing cadastral projects in three provinces in the region.
Datu Tungko Saikol, DENR-12 acting regional executive director, said the cadastral projects cover13 municipalities in the region that were identified as among the beneficiaries for this year of the World Bank-funded National Program Support-Environment and Natural Resources Management Program (NPS-ENRMP).
He said the project, which cost around P110 million, was funded by the World Bank through the NPS-ENRMP.
“It mainly involves the conduct of cadastral surveys on areas covered by the municipality-beneficiaries to facilitate proper land registration,” he said.
The official said the surveys cover the municipalities of Kabacan, Midsayap, Antipas, Tulunan, and Pigcawayan in North Cotabato; Norala, Sto. Nino and Surallah in South Cotabato; and, Senator Ninoy Aquino, Lambayong, Kalamansig, Lebak and President Quirino in Sultan Kudarat.
Saikol said these projects were classified under “Category B” of the NPS-ENRMP, which is part of the agency’s priority land administration initiatives.
A “Category B” project consists of the establishment and survey of project control and PRS92 or the Philippine Reference System of 1992 Reference Control Points as well as the conduct of political boundary survey of all barangays in the entire municipality, he said.
A DENR briefer said cadastral surveys refer to the assessment of an entire municipality or city “for the purpose of identifying and delineating the individual claims of all land owners and claimants, and which will be the basis for the issuance of titles or patents.”
It said the survey includes the inspection, verification and approval of surveys for isolated and subdivision survey projects as well as survey of political boundaries of cities, municipalities and provinces.
“We’re currently fast tracking the completion of the cadastral surveys of the region’s different municipalities as part of our commitment to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III’s social contract with the people to institute reforms in land administration through good governance,” Saikol said.
Region 12, which is also known as the Soccsksargen Region, comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
Morakie Domanday, DENR-12’s acting regional technical director for lands, said the preparatory works for the cadastral surveys are ongoing and their personnel were closely monitoring the day-to-day activities of the contracted surveyors based on their approved activity schedule.
He said the DENR central office has so far approved the Project Control Surveys (PCS) of Sto. Nino, Norala, Senator Ninoy Aquino and Lambayong towns while their Political Boundary Surveys (PBS) are undergoing verification and approval.
The PCS of Kabacan, President Quirino and Kalamansig towns were recently submitted by their contractors for initial verification and approval by their office, he said.
Domanday said the field works for the cadastral survey projects in Antipas, Midsayap, Surallah, Lebak are presently ongoing. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)