Titles to John Hay home lots released
By Elmer Kristian Dauigoy, Vincent Cabreza
Northern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 00:40:00 12/02/2008
Filed Under: Regional authorities
BAGUIO CITY – The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) on Thursday released the second batch of land titles to residents of a village inside Camp John Hay, a former American rest and recreation center that was privatized in 1994.
The agency agreed to segregate 13 villages from the 69-hectare Camp John Hay reservation – a condition set by the Baguio city government before it allowed the property’s lease to the Fil Estate-led Camp John Hay Development Corp. (CJHDevco).
Soledad Ela, 87, a resident of Barangay Scout Barrio, said she has been waiting for 50 years for her lot’s legitimate title.
“I’m very happy,” she said.
Ela is the oldest of six residents who received lot titles, with a total area of 2,576 square meters, on Nov. 27 from the John Hay Management Corp. (JHMC), BCDA’s estate manager.
More titles expected
Rosita Callao, Remedios Corpuz, Rey Pelayo, Edna Samson and Edgar Ulat, all residents of the 159,738-square meter Barangay Scout Barrio here, also received titles to their home lots.
Frank Daytec Jr., JHMC operations group manager, said 25 of 163 applicants have been granted land titles.
The first 19 titles were given in January, covering 7,392 square meters.
“We expect to award more before the year ends,” Daytec said.
But the city government is not pleased.
Vice Mayor Daniel Fariñas said BCDA appears to have violated the condition drawn up by the city government when it discovered that the agency has been releasing only home lots.
The city is asserting the 19 conditions embodied in the environmental compliance certificate (ECC), which paved the way for Camp John Hay’s privatization, Fariñas said.
“BCDA agreed to release the whole barangay, not just portions where residents stay. We are not happy with the pace by which the lots are being released. Now we are suspicious also because BCDA is keeping vast tracts of land that it may later lease out to developers instead of to the community,” he said.
In a press statement in October, JHMC acknowledged retaining control over 79,359 square meters of Scout Barrio because of a government directive.
Housing site
President Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 64 declaring the village as a housing site to residents “who have been living in the area even before the enactment of the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992.”
But the statement cited the directive’s implementing rules, which requires JHMC to retain control over unoccupied home lots and open spaces.
The JHMC statement also cited a Dec. 2, 2004 opinion from the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), which confirmed BCDA’s proprietal rights over these open spaces.
But JHMC said it would need a presidential proclamation for the government to dispose of these open lots.
“One thing is certain: the open spaces are for the public. Nobody will claim these open spaces,” Daytec said.
Fariñas said the city council has asked BCDA for an accounting of its obligations to the 19 conditions, which are enumerated in City Resolution 362, series of 1994.
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