The Baguio City Council has approved on third and final reading an ordinance authorizing the acquisition of an 11,110-square-meter parcel of land in Asin Barangay for socialized housing, primarily to provide in-city relocation and resettlement for informal settler families facing demolition.
Authored by Councilor Paolo Raynor Salvosa, the measure authorizes Mayor Benjamin Magalong to negotiate with the property owner and initiate expropriation proceedings if negotiations fail, and is now awaiting the mayor’s signature before implementation.
The ordinance covers a parcel of land measuring approximately 11,110 square meters in Asin Barangay, identified as Lot No. 3-D-1-A, PSD-CAR-014554, and registered under Transfer Certificate of Title No. 018-2022001292.
The proposed acquisition aims to secure a site for the relocation and in-city resettlement of informal settler families identified by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), particularly members of the Pine Homes Community Association, Inc. (PHCAI) which is composed of 74 informal settler families.
Under the ordinance, the city government, through Mayor Benjamin Magalong and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), is authorized to negotiate with the property owner for the acquisition of the land.
An appraisal committee must be convened within 15 days to determine the property’s fair market value and prepare the necessary budget for negotiations.
The city is given 30 days to negotiate with the owner and exhaust the available acquisition methods under Republic Act No. 7279, or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992. If negotiations fail, expropriation proceedings must be initiated within the succeeding 30 days, subject to the court’s schedule.
The measure provides that the acquisition will be pursued as a means of last resort and that the property owner must receive just compensation in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and jurisprudence.
The legal basis for the acquisition includes Section 19 of Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, and Sections 9, 10, and 26 of Republic Act No. 7279 which provide for the exercise of eminent domain for socialized housing purposes.
The ordinance designates the CSWDO to determine the beneficiaries, beginning with PHCAI members and other qualified informal settler families.
The City Planning, Development and Sustainability Office (CPDSO) will guide the community in preparing a People’s Plan to determine how the property can accommodate additional qualified families and maximize its use for the city’s socialized housing program.
The ordinance sets a 180-day period for finalizing the People’s Plan including convening the Local Housing Board, identifying beneficiaries, and determining financing sources. The plan must then be implemented within two years to maximize the land for socialized housing.
Funding for the acquisition and payment of just compensation will come from available city government funds and national government socialized housing financing programs, subject to accounting and auditing rules. Any additional funding required will be appropriated annually upon certification of fund availability by the Local Finance Committee.
The City Mayor, through the City Legal Office, City Assessor’s Office, CPDSO, CSWDO, City Engineering Office, and City General Services Office will coordinate the negotiations, any necessary court proceedings, and other actions needed to implement the ordinance while safeguarding the rights of all stakeholders. **Jordan G. Habbiling
