BAGUIO CITY – After 111 years of being a chartered city, the local government has finally gotten a title over the land where it built its home — the City Hall.
On September 24, 2020, the city government received a copy of the Original Certificate of Title (OCT 2020000098) from the Land Registration Authority (LRA) over the 15,863-square meter lot where the City Hall building stands, including the area occupied by the Justice Hall at the back portion of the property.
The title is a special patent from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) registered as SP-LGU-BEN-9032.
“We believe that there should be a document that will show the city government owns this piece of land,” said Eugene Buyucan, chief of the General Services Office (GSO).
“Now, city hall is no longer a squatter in its own city,” Buyucan said.
With an OCT, he said the city government can now register the property in its book of accounts as well as the appraisal value of the property, giving it all the rights as owner of the real property.
He said the titling process under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte started in 2017 going thru a detailed procedure which included the submission of old photos and historical accounts before the OCT was finally issued.
Buyucan said that in the past, the city government’s proof of ownership over the land known to all as “city hall compound” is under a Presidential Decree.
Old photographs of the city show the location of the old town hall building.
Stories of American Architect Daniel Burnham, who designed Baguio, was also used as proof of its location at a higher vantage point overlooking a body of water, a trademark of Burnham in all cities in the world that he designed.
Aside from the city hall, also awarded with OCTs were the 8,363-square meter land area used by the City Engineers Office and the 23,186-square meter Bayan Park at Aurora Hill, which was named after the first Filipino mayor of this city — Sergio Bayan.
Protecting public land for the public
Buyucan said they are processing the title over 11 more properties of the city government, which have yet to be covered by a certificate of title.
He said this includes the permanent home for the city jail, veterinary office, police, housing for the residents and employees of the city government, and area for its waste management.
“We now have a problem of the future, a state of consumerism where we are all producers of garbage and if we don’t reserve land for the purpose, we will face chaos in our future,” he said.
Potential investment
Buyucan, who is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), said the city government is going towards a direction where it is looking for properties that have potential for investment.
“It is about time that the city also looks for business ventures as a source of revenue using the land it owns,” he said.
He said the city has appointed budget officer Atty. Leticia Clemente as the city’s investment officer whose primary task is to find the best use for the lands owned by the city.
Buyucan cited as an example the 5,000-square meter lot owned by the LGU near the Mansion House, a tourist destination that can be converted from unproductive prime lot to a revenue-generating venture.
“We have properties in good locations and because they are not fully used, the city is looking at possibly utilizing them as a revenue-generating property,” he said.
The old city hall building built in 1953 underwent several refurbishments and reconstructions before it became what it is now. At its back portion is the Baguio Justice hall that houses the municipal and regional trial courts including the Department of Justice.
Fronting it is a park where parents of pupils at the city’s oldest public elementary school — the Baguio Central School — spend time while waiting to fetch their children.
Viewed from the city hall are the Rizal Park and Burnham Park. **PNA
