Province-Led Titling: The Surigao del Sur Experience

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In just eight months eight Municipalities of Surigao del Sur progressed from being students of public land titling to being implementors. In January this year they travelled to Maramag to learn how this Municipality in Bukidnon worked with DENR to help their residents get land titles. By August they were already managing their own surveys. They were able to apply what they learned because of the support provided by RTD Paquito Rosal of DENR XIII and because of the leadership of Governor Jimmy Pimentel.

Gov Pimentel thinks this titling project will lead to better real property tax administration. Titling would clarify ownership of parcels, increase registration of real property units, increase total appraised value. All of these would lead to increases in real property tax collection.

The Governor established a Provincial Land Information Office (PLIO) to monitor the progress of the Municipalities on titling. He also provides 50% of the cost of the needed surveys – the Municipalities provide the other 50%.  When one Municipality lagged in appropriating their counterpart, the PLIO reported it to the Governor. Gov Pimentel convinced the Mayor to act on the appropriation.  As of last month all eight Municipalities had appropriated survey funds; six were undertaking surveys already; two were starting adjudication activities.

The PLIO was established by Executive Order as a unit of the Office of the Governor. Miss Vilma Ronquillo leads four employees who have been deputized as Public Land Inspectors. The PLIO staff regularly visit the participating Municipalities and take part in their titling activities.

While the Provincial Government and the Municipal Governments share the cost of the survey, this does not mean the lot occupants get their surveys for free.  Once they receive their titles, beneficiaries have to pay the Municipalities the cost of their survey (1,500.00 pesos per lot).

The Municipalities expect to submit their first free patent applications to their CENROs within September. DENR has 120 days to process these applications. Registration might take two more months. So by January next year (December this year if things go faster) the residents of these Municipalities in Surigao del Sur will get their titles. When that happens, the eight Municipalities will have become successful replicators of what they learned from Maramag in just a year – to a large degree because of the leadership provided by the Provincial Government.

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