SIXTEEN production wells of Davao City Water District (DCWD) in untitled land properties are at risk of being misplaced and wasted, affecting the ability of the district in delivering water services.
In the latest Commission on Audit (COA) 2016 report released last month, a review of the land account of DCWD showed that 23 properties, containing 16 production wells, are untitled.
COA identified various facilities and equipment installed including affected production wells that amounted to P42,438,733.79.
A DCWD finance officer informed COA that settlers on the area may destroy their facilities and affect the efficiency of service delivery to clients due to properties with legal complications.
COA added that there might be a possibility that DCWD may not be able to obtain the land titles especially of those properties whose donors already passed away.
"In this case, the district may be forced to remove its facilities from the concerned sites, or may be forced to acquire these properties at a cost higher than it should have been," the report said.
DCWD said some of its properties were donated to them but with lack of relevant documents such as notarized deed of donation for easier way to transfer title under the district's name.
COA said DCWD started tracking the current owners of these properties and have successfully transferred eight land titles.
"Since the process of transferring titles take some time, DCWD assured COA that the government can always exercise its power of eminent domain. Thus, it can still be assured that the interest of the government will always prevail," COA said.
COA, thus, recommended for DCWD to ensure the ownership of the properties before constructing facilities to avoid losses and production failures.