DENR Calabarzon Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services, Alfredo C. Palencia reminded the Land Management Officers and Inspectors to be carefully guided by the existing guidelines in the appraisal of public lands, in a recently conducted webinar on appraisal, valuation and levelling-off on the processing of land covering sales and leases.

Palencia emphasized the importance of observing the DENR rules and regulations on the appraisal of lands for sales and leases to lessen the time consumed for processing and to ensure that the user’s fee to be collected is appropriate.

“Nasa ating mga kamay po iyan. Ayusin natin ang appraisal ng lupa nang sa gano’n hindi na pabalik-balik (ang mga appraisal for approval) at tama ‘yung collection o payment ng user’s fee o rental ng mga nasabing public lands, either through lease agreement o sale,” he said. He cited that some field offices fail to comply with the requirements and process based on the existing guidelines. He mentioned also that some public lands would have cost way more than its assessed value should it have been appraised properly.

Palencia said that the appraisal of lands is being conducted by the respective Appraisal Committees of the DENR Community and Provincial Offices, results of which will be subject to review of the DENR Regional Office and the Land Management Bureau and approval of the Environment Secretary.

DENR Calabarzon-Licenses, Patents and Deeds Division Chief, Olivia G. Bejo said they opted to conduct the webinar to capacitate the Land Management Officers and Inspectors at the field offices regarding the latest policies and guidelines on the appraisal and valuation of public lands and patrimonial properties, identify the problems they encounter in the field, and assess how they appraise public lands and patrimonial properties.

“May recent issuances tayo from Central Office na dapat sundin na hindi natin nako-consider probably kasi ‘yung ibang PENROs at CENROs ay hindi naman active sa issuance ng foreshore or mga leases natin dito, or ‘yung ibang PENROs ay wala namang patents like ‘yung mga kino-cover natin ng RA 730. ‘Yung ibang provinces, wala namang dagat so walang foreshore. (‘Yung iba) merong lakeshore pero covered na ng LLDA,” she explained.

Bejo said the department will fully resort to the disposition of public lands through sales and leases once all lands suitable for agricultural and residential free patents are already titled after the Rapid Land Tenure Appraisal. “Pino-project na natin na within that period (10 years), wala na tayong titling sa agricultural at residential kasi na-saturate na natin. Kung wala na po ‘yon, definitely dito tayo papasok sa other mode ng disposition which is lease or sale,” she said.

Palencia said he hopes that at the end of the two-day workshop, the Land Management Officers and Inspectors as well as the rest of the members of the Appraisal Committees at the field offices will already be able to know and understand their function and, thereby, correct their lapses in appraising public lands so as to speed up the processing and approval of land appraisals.

The department primarily implements the DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 98 dated May 20, 1998, as amended by DAO 2010-26 dated Oct 13, 2010, in the conduct of appraisal and valuation of public land and other patrimonial properties of the government.

DENR Calabarzon held the second batch of this webinar on July 7-9, 2021.###