• Headlines
  • City/Region News
    • Baguio City
    • CAR
    • Nation
  • Sectoral news
    • Elections
      • Elections – 2022
      • Elections – 2019
    • Agriculture, Fishery and Pets
    • Business & Livelihood
    • Education, Arts & Culture
    • OFW | Migration
    • Environment and Disaster Management
    • Science and Technology
    • Tourism, travel and Events
    • Other Lifestyle
    • Police Beat
  • Health
    • Covid-19 Advisory and Updates
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Timek Ti Umili
  • Sports
  • Other sections
    • Features
    • Photos/Videos
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Words for reflection
    • Sponsored articles
    • Jobs in Baguio
    • Elections
  • Ads & Notices
    • Obituaries
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Directory
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Contact Us
HERALD EXPRESS | News in Cordillera and Northern Luzon
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Headlines
  • City/Region News
    • Baguio City
    • CAR
    • Nation
  • Sectoral news
    • Elections
      • Elections – 2022
      • Elections – 2019
    • Agriculture, Fishery and Pets
    • Business & Livelihood
    • Education, Arts & Culture
    • OFW | Migration
    • Environment and Disaster Management
    • Science and Technology
    • Tourism, travel and Events
    • Other Lifestyle
    • Police Beat
  • Health
    • Covid-19 Advisory and Updates
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Timek Ti Umili
  • Sports
  • Other sections
    • Features
    • Photos/Videos
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Words for reflection
    • Sponsored articles
    • Jobs in Baguio
    • Elections
  • Ads & Notices
    • Obituaries
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Directory
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Headlines
  • City/Region News
    • Baguio City
    • CAR
    • Nation
  • Sectoral news
    • Elections
      • Elections – 2022
      • Elections – 2019
    • Agriculture, Fishery and Pets
    • Business & Livelihood
    • Education, Arts & Culture
    • OFW | Migration
    • Environment and Disaster Management
    • Science and Technology
    • Tourism, travel and Events
    • Other Lifestyle
    • Police Beat
  • Health
    • Covid-19 Advisory and Updates
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Timek Ti Umili
  • Sports
  • Other sections
    • Features
    • Photos/Videos
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Words for reflection
    • Sponsored articles
    • Jobs in Baguio
    • Elections
  • Ads & Notices
    • Obituaries
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Directory
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
HERALD EXPRESS | News in Cordillera and Northern Luzon
No Result
View All Result
Home Editorial

Addressing squatting

Herald Express by Herald Express
December 1, 2016
in Editorial
12
0
4
SHARES
63
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The proliferation of informal settlers in urban centers all over the country is a common problem of local officials. These people intrude into private properties, public lands, and forest reservations. Their presence often has a significant impact on the environment and the delivery of basic services to the people, among others. Republic Act (RA) 7277 or the Urban Housing and Development Act, popularly known as the Lina law, specifically provides the guidelines for local governments in dealing with the situation whereby those who built their structures on public lands and private properties before March of 1992 are guaranteed relocation sites.

The move to urban centers primarily for jobs and greater opportunities of people from the rural communities or other poorer areas is the primary factor for the significant increase in the number of informal settlers in Baguio City and the capital town of La Trinidad, Benguet. Legitimate land owners are at the losing end when their properties are squatted upon by purported informal settlers. Often, in the end, they are forced to sell their properties to the illegal occupants just to have peace of mind. Small land owners who worked hard to acquire these properties, who went through the legal process of acquiring them  but do not have the necessary resources to immediately develop them, lose out in the end. The government officials’ leniency in the strict implementation of the pertinent rules and regulations governing squatting favours the informal settler more than the legitimate owner. Because of the tedious legal process to retrieve their lands, many landowners tend to give up. The informal settlers, without wasting their time, effort and resources, end up owning a piece of land in the city.

One angle in this issue is the modus operandi of well-resourced land speculators. It has been observed that unscrupulous land speculators resort to legal delays in the cases filed against their eviction just to demoralize the legitimate land owners. Others resort to the law, like the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), or the provision of the Lina Law for relocation sites before abandoning a squatted private property.

Obviously, informal settlers have the guts to fight it out with the legitimate property owners because of the snail-paced disposition of the anti-squatting cases pending with the City’s Anti-Squatting Committee. The Committee has been observed to often tolerate the obvious delaying tactics of some quarters. At times, they seem to favor the concerns of the informal settlers over the valid claims of the legitimate land owners, thus, casting doubts on the credibility of the members.

On the other hand, many landowners are dismayed over the way the city officials handle the valid demolition orders.  There are several ways informal settlers get away with their illegal activity. They appeal for a stay in their eviction with a promise to voluntary dismantle their structure but do not keep their word. They go to the local chief executive with drama stories to  soften the heart of the concerned officials to grant their appeal for a temporary reprieve. Ironically, after the grant of their request, they go to the extent of harassing the legitimate land owners until the latter give up.

We challenge our city officials to be decisive in the issuance and implementation of valid demolition and court orders to dismantle illegal structures that were erected over public and private properties. Let the demolition of the over 350 illegal structures within the Baguio Dairy Farm and the 60 illegal structures within the BIBAK property along Harrison Road be the test for the local government’s political will in its non-tolerance of informal settlers, especially those who obviously are land speculators or who do not fall under the definition of urban poor.

We call on the barangay officials to fully exercise their mandate and take the primary lead in policing their own ranks. They must demonstrate their political will to stop informal settlers from building structures in the lots they do not actually own. They must be vigilant on what is happening in their areas of jurisdiction and act with timing and precision to prevent the proliferation of illegal structures in their places.

We deplore some of our city officials who tolerate illegal structures in barangays primarily because of fear of losing votes during elections over the interest of legitimate landowners.  What we ask is for the fair and just implementation of our anti-squatting laws. We might wake up one day to find that the trees in our forests have been replaced with human structures that affect the state of our environment and health, the scenery and beauty of our city, as well as its cool and romantic weather.

We call on these local officials to act as authorities and not as politicians who prioritise their political survival over upholding people’s legitimate interests, especially small landowners. They must balance the interests of legal owners and the need for housing for those coming to the city for livelihood.

Previous Post

Man gunned down in Tabuk.

Next Post

180 join Kabayan Run for a Cause

Next Post
Danish tops Yamashita Run

180 join Kabayan Run for a Cause

ADVERTISEMENT

Recent News

Dagupan Centro hosts colorful 5th Panagdadagupan Festival 

Dagupan Centro hosts colorful 5th Panagdadagupan Festival 

May 13, 2025
Apayao deputizes first batch of Green Guards 

Apayao deputizes first batch of Green Guards 

May 13, 2025
PMA releases Top 10 graduating cadets 

PMA releases Top 10 graduating cadets 

May 13, 2025
Marcos to lead 2024 PMA graduation rites

Marcos to grace 2025 PMA graduation ceremony in Baguio

May 13, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
HERALD EXPRESS | News in Cordillera and Northern Luzon

Herald Express is a news organization based in Baguio City that has a weekly publication and an online news portal. The newspaper is circulated in the different provinces of Northern Luzon. The name of the fastest-growing publication in town is coined from the word ‘quick messenger’ which is self-explanatory.

Follow Us

Search

No Result
View All Result

© 2024 Baguio Herald Express | Website Design and Development by Neitiviti Studios

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Headlines
  • City/Region News
    • Baguio City
    • CAR
    • Nation
  • Sectoral news
    • Elections
      • Elections – 2022
      • Elections – 2019
    • Agriculture, Fishery and Pets
    • Business & Livelihood
    • Education, Arts & Culture
    • OFW | Migration
    • Environment and Disaster Management
    • Science and Technology
    • Tourism, travel and Events
    • Other Lifestyle
    • Police Beat
  • Health
    • Covid-19 Advisory and Updates
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Timek Ti Umili
  • Sports
  • Other sections
    • Features
    • Photos/Videos
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Words for reflection
    • Sponsored articles
    • Jobs in Baguio
    • Elections
  • Ads & Notices
    • Obituaries
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Directory
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Contact Us

© 2024 Baguio Herald Express | Website Design and Development by Neitiviti Studios