CHRISTMAS came early for residents of North Sanitary Camp.
The City Council approved through moves of Councilor Edgar Avila, awarding the actual occupants of a portion of the City Government lot at North Sanitary Camp, Purok 3 including Sitio Guinawang and the portion adjacent to the Baguio Sewerage Treatment Plant, Baguio City.
“After decades of waiting, residents of North Sanitary Camp will have the best Christmas gift ever as they finally will be given a land of their own and titles,” Avila said.
The City government of Baguio is the declared owner of a parcel on land consisting of 16,047 square meters covering TCT-No. T-54733, T-54734, T/54740 (portion), T-54743, T-54738, T-54739, T-36876 (portion), and T-36877 (portion) which are situated in North Sanitary Camp Barangay.
City Resolution No. 197, series of 1989 of the City Councils Baguio approved the petition of the residents of the North Sanitary Camp, for the awarding of lots they have been occupying for many years.
“The land is the best legacy our forefathers will leave and we are happy that in our own little way we have become part of the legacy,” Avila said.
The City’s Appraisal Committee appraised the subject lots in the amount of P2,500 per square meter as the best price, thus the same is accepted by the occupants.
A Memorandum of Agreement dated June 11, 1986 was entered into by lot owners in the person of Balbalio Acay, Polito Licanio and Clemencia Damogo whose portion of their lands were utilized in the construction of the road towards the Baguio Sewerage treatment plant, and the same was mutually agreed to be compensated in the form of an exchange of an equivalent area of lots from the City Government of Baguio City.
To effect the swapping of lots, the land owners of their heirs, assigns, or their successor-in-interests are included as privy of the resident claimants of North Sanitary Camp Purok 3, but are excluded from paying the cost of the lots they occupied unless they had occupied more than the swapped area.
In September, the committee held a public hearing at North Sanitary with Village Chief Virgilio Orca, Jr. and his barangay council and the beneficiaries and after almost 20 years of waiting, finally families will benefit from the action.
“500 and more lots awarded in 2 years is a manifestation of our true and good intentions for our people,” Avila added.