Untitled lots in Cebu province can now be registered for free

CEBU, Philippines - Private residences and government buildings sitting on an untitled lot in the province of Cebu can now have their lots titled through the “Public Land Titling Program” of the government.

Consolacion, Cebu, being a pioneer beneficiary of the said program, has submitted 30 workable lots from their barangays to be surveyed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The DENR deployed eight men that composed the team tasked to survey the lands in the town, with Barangay Poblacion Oriental as the first community surveyed last June 6.  Barangay Poblacion Oriental will follow suit.  Consolacion Municipal Assessor Marilou Herrera said the 30 lots they submitted may result to 60 to 100 parcels of subdivided parcels of lot after the survey.

The program is in line with the “Free Patent Titles,” under Republic Act 10023 or an act authorizing the issuance of free patents to residential lands, provided that the lot area does not exceed 750 square meters.

Covered by the act are “all lands that are zoned as residential areas, including town sites as defined under the Public Land Act.”

The Provincial Information Office (PIO), through a news release, said some of the owners of the lands have been occupying the property for about 30 years already, including the predecessor in interest (original owners).  A parcel of inherited lot will eventually be subdivided into parcels among the heirs.

The PIO quoted Herrera saying that the prevailing rate per parcel of resultant survey and subdivided lot is P4,000, regardless of its size but through the titling program.

Beneficiaries can have huge savings which will reach to about P240,000 to P400,000, as the program is free of charge, giving  the opportunity to lot owners to apply residential free patent title at no expense.  Herrera said even the municipalities with buildings constructed on untitled lot can avail of the program, like the newly-constructed municipal building of Consolacion and their public market that are sitting on an untitled lot.

Herrera added that with the program, they can now apply for special title formalizing their ownership of the lot.

The program can also resolve boundary conflicts, enhance business activity and to encourage lot owners to religiously pay land taxes. —/GAN (FREEMAN)