ITOGON, Benguet – The Romualdez-owned Benguet Corporation (BC) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) entered into a deed of usufruct for the use of the latter of more or less 350 square meters of land within its patented mineral claim in Tram, Ucab exclusively for the PNP’s proposed put up of a new standard building to be used as headquarters and allied purposes.
The company and the PNP understand in the agreement that the consented area will include the existing old PNP building and allied purposes only while the consented area adjacent to it will include the area occupied by the old PNP building.
Both parties explicitly understood that the agreement is a gratuitous contract but the occupant shall safeguard the area and its adjoining premises from any squatters and illegal settlers; pay the real estate taxes due on the aforesaid real property as well as the taxes due on the improvement; provide, introduce or maintain buildings, property infrastructures, perimeter fences, facilities that shall need the consented sustainable and valuable for the parties and to be responsible for any rehabilitation obligations that may accrue from the use of the area.
The term of the agreement is 25 years from December 20, 2019 to December 19, 2044 renewable for the same term upon mutual agreement of the concerned parties, however, the same shall be pre-terminated once the PNP has no use of the consented area.
For the duration of the agreement, the PNP shall be liable for all water, light, telephone and other bills for public service or utilities, as well as expenses necessary for the installation, re-connection, removal or repair of the said utilities within the aforesaid area and its premises.
Under the agreement, the PNP shall not directly or indirectly assign, transfer, convey, mortgage or in any way encumber the area or any of its surrounding premises or portion thereof under any circumstances neither shall the occupant enter into any agreement with any person or entity in connection with the occupancy of the premises. Any contract or agreement that may be made in violation of the said clause shall be null and void.
According to the agreement, the PNP agreed to keep the owner free and harmless, and to assume solely all liabilities, directly or indirectly, arising from its use of the property in so far as the enforcement of the provisions of the contract is concerned.
The agreement was signed by BC General Manager Valeriano B. Bungalos, Jr. and former PNP-Cordillera Regional Director Police Brig. Gen. Israel Ephraim T. Dickson.
Earlier, the PNP expressed its intention to continue utilizing the existing PNP building and requested for an additional adjacent area for the construction of a new standard PNP building to be used for other police-related activities or operations and requested the BC for its permission and approval to turn over the custody, use, possession and administration of a portion of the slope mineral claim to be able to formally document the occupation of the existing PNP building and to construct a new structure.
BC, in its continuing commitment in assisting the government entities and the community of Itogon, and in consonance to its socio-economic development program with the municipal government, acted favorably and granted permission and approval over the request of the occupant. By HENT