March 19, 2026 – Baguio City and Tuba town officials have formalized agreements on a land swap deal seen as pivotal to resolving the long standing boundary issue between the two local government units.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Tuba Municipal Vice Mayor Maria Carantes expressed elation over the development reached during a joint meeting hosted by the city on March 18.
Both parties agreed to adopt the land swapping scheme worked out by a joint technical working group formed by the two LGUs. Under the scheme, Baguio would cede parcels of land occupied by Tuba’s elementary and high schools and its municipal building. Tuba, for its part, would give to the city areas where Sto. Tomas High School and some public utility facilities are located.
Both parties also consented to the conduct of a political boundary final survey and agreed to respect natural boundaries and titled properties and discussed the next steps towards consummating the deal.
The mayor said apart from the survey which is estimated to take two months, both LGUs will work out legislative requirements for the deal. The Tuba municipal council will have to adopt a resolution for submission to the Benguet Provincial Council for affirmation, while Baguio will also seek approval from its City Council.
The mayor said a plebiscite needs to be conducted to finalize the agreement, covering only the affected barangays. Four barangays from Baguio and one barangay from Tuba are expected to participate. Magalong added that they will coordinate closely with the Commission on Elections to plan the plebiscite, including its schedule and budget.
The mayor said the land swap scheme came about after a series of discussions, technical reviews and negotiations conducted by both parties through the TWG.
He noted that previous attempts to settle the issue date back to 2010 and 2020, but these were delayed due to various concerns, including disagreements over land valuation.
“After nearly a year of renewed negotiations, both parties have now arrived at a definite agreement,” he said.
The two LGUs had worked on an amicable settlement of the jurisdictional line issue which arose in 1927, stemming from unclearly defined boundaries when Baguio was chartered as a city in 1909.
Both parties attempted a “one-to-one land swap” which was included in a proposed revision of Baguio’s charter in 2005. However, the measure was vetoed in 2012 by then-President Benigno Aquino III. ** Aileen P. Refuerzo
