BAGUIO CITY, Monday March 21 – The city government needs to shell out a P13 million fund as its counterpart for the completion of two vital land surveys initiated by the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The city council approved Resolution No. 63 series of 2011 requesting Mayor Mauricio Domogan being the chair of the City Development Council (CDC) to include the said amount in either the 2011 supplemental budget or in the 2012 City Annual Investment Plan or the Executive Budget to complete the townsite survey (CAR Baguio City) for final lot survey and adjustments of old surveys, and the barangay political boundary survey of all the barangays in the city.

In the measure authored by Councilor Isabelo Cosalan Jr., he noted that the DENR embarked on two significant projects in the city -- the ongoing Townsite Survey–CAR Baguio City for Final Lot Survey and Adjustment of Old Surveys project and the incoming Barangay Political Boundary Survey of all the Barangays of Baguio City.

He said that on October 15 last year, a public consultation-meeting on the updates on the above was conducted by the Committee on Urban Planning, Lands and Housing and attended by the Regional Technical Director for Lands, DENR-CAR, the TS-CAR Baguio City contractors, representatives from the Baguio City District Engineering Office, Department of Public Works and Highways-CAR, City Environment and Natural Resources Office-Baguio, A.O. 504 Clearing Committee, City Buildings and Architecture Office, City Engineering Office, City Planning and Development Office, barangay officials, and the general public.

“In said forum, the DENR and the TS-CAR Baguio City contractors acknowledged that there was a dramatic increase in the number of lots surveyed and yet to be surveyed and that the actual output as per contract in the barangays were easily surpassed causing an undeniable budget shortfall for the completion of the project,” the alderman noted.

“According to the presented status and considering the increase in the number of lots, a total of 8,880 lots or 20 percent were surveyed as against the 44,682 target lots and the additional sourced out funds is approximated to cover about 2/3 of the total project. Likewise, an amount was also earmarked for the conduct of Barangay Political Boundary Survey but conceded that the funds may not be enough,” he said.

Cosalan said the completion of the TS-CAR Baguio City and that of the Barangay Political Boundary Survey are most advantageous to the city vis-à-vis development planning, policy formulation, program/project implementation, including the proper and definite resolutions of conflicts and inconsistencies.

“Among others, the TS-CAR Baguio City projects will certainly facilitate the patenting of alienable and disposable public lands thereby generating higher income for the city through realty and other related taxes while an approved Barangay Political Boundary Survey for the city will assure the corresponding distribution of Internal Revenue Allotment of barangays,” he said

“Being the foremost beneficiary and in view of the projects’ encompassing impact to the city’s development, the city’s counterpart of at least 1/3 of the total project is fair enough and justifiable,” the resolution noted.

The resolution proposed that the amount be divided as follows: P10, 000,000 for the TS-CAR Baguio City and P3, 000,000 for the Barangay Political Boundary Survey.

It further requested the mayor and the City Development Council to certify the above projects as priority projects of the City of Baguio in partnership with the DENR-CAR. –*(AR-PIO baguio city//PIA CAR)