By Tara Yap
Iloilo City—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will be issuing more land titles intended for military camps in Western Visayas region.
(Artem Colacion / MANILA BULLETIN )
DENR-6 Regional Director Jim Sampulna disclosed that DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu, who is a former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff, ordered his staff issuance of land titles to all military facilities.
This came less than a year after the DENR awarded its first military camp land title in Western Visayas: the 10.3-hectare Camp Jizmundo in Banga town, Aklan province.
Together with DENR-6 Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Livino Duran, Sampulna recently met with officers from eight military camps.
The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) and DENR-6 are eyeing to curb the number of unscrupulous land syndicates, which are encroaching on military sites.
“This is to also protect the interest of the AFP from encroachment, usurpation, illegal occupation and adverse claims of ownership made by public and private entities,” Sampulna added.
Hector Garrido, chief of DENR-6’s Licenses, Patents and Deeds Division (LPDD), briefed military officers on the requirements for special land titles.
Portions of military sites including 3ID’s headquarters in Jamidan town, Capiz province and the one in Mambusao town still eye special land titles.
Others are in Iloilo City; the towns of Calinog, Dingle and Miag-ao in Iloilo province; the towns of Candoni and Murcia in Negros Occidental province.