LMB ORGANIZES CONSULTATIVE WORKSHOP AND FGD ON SURVEY AND TITLING SERVICES
In line with the directive of President Rodrigo R. Duterte during his first State of the Nation (SONA) last July 25, to lessen the processing time and improve government services, the Land Management Bureau (LMB), conducted a two-day consultative workshop and Focused Group Discussion (FGD) with DENR Regional Offices on streamlining of requirements and processing time for Survey Approval and Public Land Applications (PLAs). It was held last July 28-29 at the Icon Hotel Timog, Quezon City.
The activity is also pursuant to Republic Act No. 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 which mandates for the reengineering of systems and procedures of agencies with frontline services to reduce bureaucratic red tape and processing time.
LMB Acting Director Atty. Emelyne V. Talabis, in her opening remarks, reiterated the instructions of the President and that of the new DENR Secretary in serving the public with honesty and integrity.
During the activity, the participants were divided into three groups. Each group was assigned a certain process to discuss among themselves how it will be streamlined. Engr. Rolando P. Pablo, Chief of the Land Management Division, was the focal person for the PLA processing. Atty. Norlito A. Eneran, Chief of the Legal Division, headed the discussion on the resolution of public land disputes. Engr. Warlito G. Quirimit, Head of the Land Administration Management System-National Coordinating Desk (LAMS-NCD), led the discussion on the processing of survey returns under LAMS.
All the groups were able to comply with the deliverables in their respective output presentations. Engr. Pablo’s group proposed for the lessening of the requirements for the Residential Free Patent Applications (RFAs) and Foreshore Land Applications (FLAs) by omitting the required simplified sketch for RFA and combine processes in FLAs to reduce 110 working days to 85 days. For Revocable Permit Application, a separate DENR Administrative Order (DAO) for rates was recommended. Atty. Eneran’s group proposed the approval of the submitted policies on the Procedure for Land Claims and Conflicts Cases and the Rules on Alternative Dispute Resolution. They are all expected to provide detailed and simplified rules on resolving and settling cases, and the creation of a Task Force Zero Backlog, which will focus on resolving ageing land cases. Engr. Quirimit’s group pushed for an eight-hour or one working day processing of Simple Subdivision Surveys, with assumptions that all signatories are present and that there are no problems on computation.