Tinago, Duljo residents get land titles

CEBU, Philippines - She used to be afraid that she will be displaced for not owning the lot. 

But after 36 years, Maria Luisa Butalid yesterday wore her biggest smile as she accepted the land title of the lot she is occupying.

Butalid, 62, Barangay Duljo-Fatima, was among the 22 beneficiaries of Residential Free Patent of Republic Act No. 10023 known as “An Act Authorizing the Issuance of Free Patents to Residential Lands” yesterday at Plaza Sugbu grounds outside Cebu City Hall.

“Nindot kaayo kay dili nata mahadlok nga nay mopapahawa sa amoa. Urban poor man mi sa una, sigehan rami og pangkwartahan maong mapasalamaton pud kaayo mi sa syudad nga mitabang gyod namo,” she said.

“Makatulog na gyud mi nga dili maguol nga dili mi papahawaon sa among balay,” she added.

The 22 beneficiaries are from barangays Tinago and Duljo-Fatima.

Lawyer Janeses Ponce, head of the city’s Land Management Council, said this is just the first distribution of the year, adding that 130 land titles will be given to beneficiaries in July this year.

“I wanted to show also nga in relation pud sa gipagawas sa pikas sa 93-1 (Provincial Ordinance 93-1) what they did is to make a non-binding agreement. It does not do anything,” he said, referring to the recent covenant signing of reelectionist Governor Hilario Davide III and former mayor Tomas Osmeña to resolve the 93-1 issue if they will win in the next election.

As of now, Ponce said a total of 286 land titles have been given to the residents.

“For that to happen, under the R.A 10023, the land must be public land, alienable and disposable. Second is that dapat wala gigamit sa government or walay plano ang gobyerno nga mogamit. And dapat pud gi-occupy sa beneficiaries for at least 10 years. Lastly, dapat dili molapas sa 200 square meters ang area,” he said.

For the city’s requirement, Ponce said the area should have undergone the re-blocking program of the city.

Also, the Department of Welfare for the Urban Poor has distributed 300 land titles to beneficiaries of Slum Improvement Resettlement in the city and 900 certifications of lot allocation to residents of fire-stricken area last Sunday.

DWUP chief lawyer Collin Rosell said the certification for lot allocation was issued to families in barangays Lorega-San Miguel, Tejero, and Basak San Nicolas.

These barangays have undergone re-blocking scheme program of the city.

Rosell said the certification was to attest that the lot has been allocated to them.  (FREEMAN)