A task force looking into questionable land title activities has scored a victory after the cancellation of a Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) of an individual for land being used as a public cemetery.

“We have solved one problem where a public cemetery in the municipality of Sta. Marcela was titled to a person, a pastor,” Governor Elias Bulut Jr. said in Ilocano during an interview on Wednesday.

The mentioned property is near a housing area, which was also found to have been titled to an individual.

Task Force Lawful and Unified initiatives to Safeguarding Apayao lands (TF-LUSA) was formed in 2023 and is composed of 10 lawyers, each of whom is assigned per municipality.

Bulut said the provincial government formed the task force to look into complaints against irregularities in land titling, help fix documents, help subdivide properties among families, and cause the cancellation of illegally-issued land titles.

He explained that land titles are important especially with the government continuously improving roads, which, at times, pass on lands owned by individuals.

“When they are titled properties, the government will have no problem as to putting a price over the land that will be used for public purpose, which is part of the just compensation that they have to get for giving their property for the use of the public,” he said.

Bulut added that while land titling as a government service should be provided free, families have to incur expenses and most of them do not have adequate funds for this, leaving them without documents of ownership but a mere thought and stories how they got to own the property.

He said land owners have to be equipped with the document of ownership over the land for their protection, especially with complaints of illegal titles reaching his office prompting the formation of the task force to help the people in Apayao.

“Through the task force, we ask the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) to fix the problem and irregularities or we will use the findings of the task force to file charges against erring employees of the department,” he added. (PNA)

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