Yvonne Jill S. Llobrera of Brgy Pucsusan, Baguio City, is the first Deaf candidate to compete in Miss Baguio 2025. She is a college student and an avid dancer who proudly advocates for PWD community causes. Photo by neimless_skills
Over 2,000 cases pending
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Cordillera (DENR-CAR) reported that the validation of “211” land titles under Presidential Decree 1271 remains slow due to limited funding, with more than 2,000 pending applications still awaiting action.
“211” titles refer to lands involved in a 1912 case that declared most of the Baguio Townsite Reservation as public property, with later laws briefly allowing private claims until the Supreme Court struck them down in 1973. Through Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1271, President Ferdinand Marcos voided these titles (except those issued earlier) and set deadlines for owners to have them validated.
During the Baguio City Council’s regular session on August 11, 2025, Maria Dolores Balagat of the DENR-CAR reported that, based on their latest inventory, there are 280 original certificates of title under PD 1271 which had produced 6,538 derivative titles. Of these, 3,894 titles have been validated, 2,644 are still pending at the City Environment & Natural Resources Office (CENRO), and others are on process. Based on DENR’s records, 139.86 hectares of the covered area remain without applications.
According to Balagat, the Land Registration Authority (LRA) has slightly different figures: 6,664 applications, with 3,789 validated, 2,875 pending, and unapplied area of 275 hectares.
A technical working group is reconciling the numbers and is scheduled to present a final inventory report and recommendations by September 29, 2025.
Balagat disclosed that the progress of the validation process is extremely slow because the national budget allocation allows for the processing of only eight to 11 per year despite over 2,000 pending cases. The appropriation from the national government continues annually but remains too minimal to meet the workload.
Councilor Peter Fianza reiterated his earlier observation, noting that many areas covered by “211” applications are occupied by settlers while registered individuals also claim land ownership, creating ongoing disputes.
This has been a recurring topic in city council sessions. Concrete plans have yet to be made to resolve the long-standing issues surrounding the “211” titles. **Jordan G. Habbiling
