Baguio City officials are being urged to take action on nearly 200 hectares of land associated with unvalidated '211' land titles that remain active and are still being sold. This call for review follows a recent report presented to the city council.
During a privilege speech on April 27, former city administrator and current Councilor Peter Fianza highlighted the issue, pointing out that many of these titles are tied to historical Igorot land claims recognized by a US Supreme Court ruling in 1909.
Fianza, who is also an Ibaloy lawyer, raised concerns about the ongoing circulation of these titles in real estate transactions, which has led to numerous overlapping claims and disputes within the city.
Historical Context of '211' Land Titles
The land disputes in Baguio stem from its colonial past, where conflicts arose between public reservations and private claims. A 1922 court decision classified most of the townsite lands as public property, barring unfiled claims related to the '211' case.
Despite extensions granted for titleholders to validate their claims, the final deadline passed in 1987. Consequently, Fianza estimates that around 139 hectares remain without validation applications, with the total potentially exceeding 200 hectares when considering titles that may have been fraudulently acquired.
He emphasized that these lands should revert to government ownership and could be utilized for public purposes, such as housing.
Baguio must take the lead in resolving this issue by seeking authority to review and cancel questionable titles.
Peter Fianza
Fianza urged local leaders to establish a task force with the authority to scrutinize and potentially annul dubious titles, ensuring full access to land records from national agencies.