Public schools titling, geohazard mapping sought

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Francis Escudero, head of the Senate committee on environment and natural resources, has urged government agencies to act on the summary titling of public school lands and have them completed within the year.        

Escudero  said the titling of the lands will be done simultaneously with the conduct of geohazard mapping to determine if schools are not within danger zones.         

“Our target is to finish the summary titling of school sites within a year. In the process, we also hope to ensure that these lands are not vulnerable to geologic hazards for the safety of our students,” Escudero said.

As of this year, the Department of Education (DepEd) owns a total of 48,740 school sites all over the country. However, it was found that only 36,258 of these school sites have land titles under DepEd’s name.         

Escudero’s committee recently approved Senate Bill 1730, or the act providing summary titling of real properties used as public school sites, to ensure that the government has legal ownership over these lands to avoid potential property disputes.

The senator noted that public school sites have always been subjected to property disputes, frequent transfers of location, revocation of donations of lands where they are situated, and urban planning and development programs of the local government units (LGUs).

“These legal disputes hinder the adequate education of our youth. It has negative impacts on the overall development of the nation in tapping and harnessing the talents of the Filipino youth, if schools, considered as their second abode, is constantly threatened with legal disputes and uncertainties,” Escudero said.

In most cases, Escudero said, public school sites are owned by LGUs or are subject to long-term lease agreements with private individuals. In some cases, parcels of land were donated but lacked the proper legal documentation and support on the transfer of ownership.