THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it has entered into a partnership with the Land Registration Authority (LRA) to improve access to information on land and make land-related transactions easier for the public.
The resulting system for land data hopes to ease the processing and approval of survey plans, the verification of lot status, and the issuance of patents and registration by integrating the two agencies’ fragmented data.
DENR Land Management Bureau Director Emelyne V. Talabis said that the partnership will result in a more coordinated, accurate, and accessible public-facing land information system.
Former DENR Officer-in-Charge Joselin Marcus E. Fragada said the tieup is a “progressive step in addressing the fragmented system of land administration and management in the country for a more secure, credible, and streamlined titling processes.”
“We have several land title-issuing authorities in the country, and these agencies have their own separate land information databases. With this fragmented setup of titling and registration, double-titling is prone to happen. This innovation will solve such problems and improve public service delivery,” he added.
The system software will access land information databases such as maps, survey plans, patents, and lot statuses of the DENR and LRA in aid of processing land-related transactions.
This will allow land processors to eliminate discrepancies and do away with the need for applicants to personally acquire clearances and certifications from the DENR and LRA offices.
“Plans for full digitization of land processes are in the works and plans for implementing electronic patents or e-patents to replace the manual judicial form,” Ms. Talabis added.
The system will first be piloted in Region IV-A, Region VII, Region X, and the National Capital Region.
“A real honest-to-goodness whole-of-government approach with an interagency task force that will dovetail our undertaking would be very ideal… Someday, all land title-issuing agencies will be our partners,” LRA Administrator Robert Nomar V. Leyretana added. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
