LMB, UPDGE partners up to update the Land Survey Regulations and Manual of Procedures

The Land Management Bureau (LMB) engaged the expertise and services of the University of the Philippines Department of Geodetic Engineering (UPDGE) for the review and updating of the DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 98-12 known as the “Revised Manual of Land Surveying Regulations in the Philippines”, DAO 2007-29 known as “The Revised Regulations on Land Surveys” and the DENR Memorandum Circular No. 2010-13 known as the “Adoption of the Manual on Land Survey Procedures”, all of which were initially launched in a 4-Day Technical Workshop on December 5-8, 2022.

The workshop intends to harmonize similar provisions, delete outdated provisions, simplify complex methods, and provide flexibility to restrictive requirements to come up with proposed policies and some recommendations that need to be revised or updated.

It was spearheaded by the LMB Assistant Director Engr. Romeo Verzosa along with the Chief of the LMB Geodetic Surveys Division (GSD) Engr. Bienvenido Cruz and also attended by different stakeholders from the Geodetic Engineers of the Philippines, Inc. (GEP) headed by its National President Engr. Victorino Domingo, National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) represented by Engr. Hennesy Marohom, Land Registration Authority (LRA) represented by Engr. Ante Gamiao, Professional Regulatory Board of Geodetic Engineering (PRBGE) Chairman Hon. Epifanio Lopez, Land Management Services (LMS) of the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE) – BARMM by Director Eshan Karl Mabang and all the DENR-Regional Chief, Surveys and Mapping Division (CSMD), and the UPDGE headed by Engr. Maria Rosario Concepcion Ang.

The delegates were welcomed by For. Edwin Cac, OIC-Assistant Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO) Officer of Coron. Engr. Verzosa also delivered a message, stressing that the active participation of the Geodetic Engineers may help the body understand on what needs to be done.

Participants from the different stakeholders shared their insights on the said event to give benefit to the revision.

Engr. Lopez shared that the manual regulations are used by the PRBGE as reference to resolve cases involving some Geodetic Engineers who committed lapses in the practice in relation to the regulations. He also added that in the past 15 years, a quantum leap was made in the development of surveying and mapping technologies from unmanned aerial systems to lidar, laser scanners and also instruments and procedures to make the Engineers’ work easier, faster, secured, and more accurate. These are the reasons why existing regulations and procedures needs updating. It is also to make sure that the procedures will conform to modern techniques. With the technical workshop, Engr. Lopez expected to strike a happy and reasonable balance in the theory and practice of regulations.

Engr. Domingo expressed his gratitude and honor to represent the private practicing Geodetic Engineers and members. According to him, it is good that there are a number of Geodetic Engineers as participants that could help craft an output in the workshop.

The LRA’s Land Registration Operations Service shared that LRA was also an implementer and most data used are from DENR.

Engr. Ang of the UPDGE described the project as under the Land Sector Modernization Program 3: Revision and Updating of the Land Survey Regulations manual of Procedures said, “this collaboration is to come up with a survey regulation and manual that will come up with the recent developments in surveying and mapping technologies with consideration on the effective and efficient public service.”

The outputs of the workshop will be consolidated and reviewed for the preparation of the Manual. There will be a Technical Working Group (TWG) that will be created. Overall, the event was a success giving the bright future of land surveying in the country.