Sunday, August 24, 2008 GSO ignorant of city-owned properties By Rimaliza Opiña
HOW many hectares of real property does the City Government own?
No exact data can be provided with regard to the actual number of real estate properties owned by Baguio, owing to the fact that the city’s General Services Offices (GSO) does not have an inventory of these properties, revealed Councilor Isabelo Cosalan Jr., chairman of the City Council committee on urban planning, lands and housing.
Part of the functions of the GSO defined by the Local Government Code is to take custody of all properties, real and personal owned by the local government.
However, Cosalan said while Baguio owns a number of real properties, the exact number cannot be determined because of absence of an inventory and a complete record including titles over these properties.
The city cannot therefore take absolute possession over these properties, Cosalan said. He said there should be an inventory section attached to the GSO which can identify and check the location of the city's real estate properties.
This section will also coordinate with the City Assessor's Office, the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Register of Deed for the patenting of city-owned lots. Likewise, it will prepare documents needed for patenting, undertake the operation and management of buildings owned by Baguio, and recommend to the mayor use of city properties by way of making technical studies.
Additional personnel will have to be hired for the purpose, Cosalan said.
