By ALMA B. SINUMLAG
www.nordis.net

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The La Trinidad Indigenous Peoples Organization (LTIPO) in their letter to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Benguet dated September 6 questioned the delayed issuance of their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) and also the 50 million pesos given to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) as a funding assistance to Benguet.

Marcelo Abela, the president of the LTIPO stated in the letter that early 2006, the regional office of the NCIP invited their group in a series of seminars for the preparation of an Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development Preparatory Plan (ADSDPP), a requirement accordingly for CADT application.

In the series of seminars, Abela stated that they were informed that an amount of 50 million pesos was given by the National Power Corporation (NPC) to the NCIP through a funding identified as National Power Corporation Funding Assistance to Benguet (NPC-FAB). According to him, this was originally released to the provincial government.

Furthermore, Abela said that the amount was divided into three component budget to be used for the preparation of the ADSDPP, aquirement of CADTs and basic services for the ancestral domains.

“The ADSDPP was completed and approved by the local indigenous peoples on October 18, 2007 and adopted by the La Trinidad municipal government through an SB resolution No. 141-2007,” Abella continued. He also stated that their CADT applications was approved by the NCIP on October 10, 2008. However, he said their CADT have not been issued to them until this year but it was not registered in the Registry of Deeds.

Upon their constant follow-up in the regional NCIP office, Abella said the problem lies in the refusal of the Land Registration Authority (LRA) to have their CADT registered. According to the LRA, their CADT does not conform with the LRA-NCIP memorandum circular No. 1 series of 2007 particularly on the segregation/exclusion of titled lots within the CADT.

Before the LRA register their CADT, the NCIP told the LTIPO that they have to indicate all the titled lots with all their technical descriptions in the survey map. However, Abela said “considering the huge number of titled properties in the urban areas of La Trinidad which are mostly commercial and residential lots, it would be close to imposible to have all this delineated and indicated in the survey plan”. He added that it will take several years and lots of manpower and resources just to have this accomplished.

Thus, the LTIPO is requesting the Benguet SP to file a resolution that will request the LRA to waive the segregation/exclusion of titled lots as a requirement to CADT registration. Moreover, they are also requesting the SP to require the NCIP to liquidate the 50 million pesos in order for them to know if there are still balances left and lastly, they are requesting for the SP assistance and support deemed necessary for CADT registration. # nordis.net