Deal to spur land purchases inked

Hoping to spur economic productivity through the sale and purchase of lands, the Cebu City government and the Foundation for Economic Freedom signed an agreement to implement the Residential Free Patent Act.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said yesterday that the implementation of the law would improve education, development and economic productivity in the city.

Rama also said that the law would give the poor a chance to have a better life.

“Because when people are in a better situation, motivation comes afterwards. It must be a progress for all in order to bring liberty, equity, and justice to the country,” he said.

According to the memorandum, the Land Management Council and the Land Management Office are mandated to develop and exercise the capability to gather and process the information about lands within its boundaries and take actions to manage land assets, land use, titling and land administration, shelter and other land-related concerns of the government”.

It will coordinate with local and national agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Register of Deeds, including government owned or controlled corporation, private sector and/or private nongovernmentl organization, with regards to land-related issues.

The nongovernment organization, the Foundation for Economic Freedom, with the support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Asia Foundation (TAF), has implemented a program called “Property Rights for Economic Progress,“ where it would provide assistance to the establishment of land offices for the implementation of the Residential Free Patent Act.

The FEF, said that the law would authorize the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to title previously untitled residential and untitled parcels of land used for public purposes.

“With the implementation of the law, the local government should be the lead sector rather than the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” said Calixto Chikiamco, FEF president.

The Residential Free Patent Act aims to make titling requirements and procedures of residential lands easier.

The law was also expected to spur entrepreneurial activity through the buying and selling of lands and would give more opportunities for title holders to credit facilities of banks and other financial institutions using their land titles as collateral for loans./UPV Tacloban Intern Joy Cherry S. Quito