Inf mapperA Publication on Surveys, Mapping, and Resource Information Technology

Volume XI ISSN-0117-1674 July 2004

LAND ADMINISTRATION and MANAGEMENT

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InfomapperEDITORIAL BOARD

Chairman – Usec. Diony A. Ventura, MNSA • Members – Senior Deputy Administrator Peter N. Tiangco, Ph.D.; Deputy Administrator Ricardo T. Biña; & IMD Director Linda SD. Papa

EDITORIAL STAFFExecutive Editor – John SF. Fabic • Editor-in-Chief – Milagros F. Viernes

Managing Editors – Maria Romina dR. Pe Benito & Xenia R. Andres • News Editor – Concepcion A. BringasStaff Writers – Elinor C. delos Reyes, Chester C. Nicolas, Benjamin T. de Leon, & George T. Corpuz

Contributors – Randolf S. Vicente (SSD), Rudolfo G. Brandes Jr. (CGSD), Nicandro P. Parayno (MD), Olivia R. Molina (RSRDAD), & Benjamin P. Balais (IMD) • Graphic Arts – Joseph C. Estrella & Sheilah Mae G. Lopez Photography –Nancy M. de Jesus, Renato E. Eguia, Rolando A. Mendoza, Arsenio B. Berriber, & Erlito P. Saberola Editorial Assistants – Julieta C. Palustre, Donnabel R. Reyes, & Rina Grace S. Gatacelo

Published by the Media Production Division, Information Management DepartmentNational Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA)

Office: Lawton Avenue, Fort Andres Bonifacio, Makati City • Tel. Nos.: (02) 810-2890; 810-4831 to 36, local 430 Telefax: (02) 810-5466 or 810-5468 • E-mail Address: mpd@namria.gov.ph

Editorial

Editors’ Note: Due to space con-straints, we cannot publish thereferences consulted for the ar-ticles for this issue. Interested in-dividuals may avail of the listsfrom the authors.

Contents

Cover and spread design: Nancy M. deJesus, Sheilah Mae G. Lopez, andRenato E. Eguia

To a layman, land administration is usuallyassociated with the more popular activities suchas titling and ownership, valuation and taxation,and real estate markets. But to a land manager,resource planner, decision maker, orenvironmentalist, land administration meansdealing with a wide array of both technical andpractical applications and these includeenvironment and natural resources, land use,agricultural production, urban development,natural disasters, communication, transport,education, health, political, and national security.

From a mapping and detail perspective, landadministration in the Philippines is generallytwofold. It is based on two fundamental butcomplementary “scales.” One aspect deals withrelatively small parcels of real property forresidential, commercial, or some familiar uses andthe other with vast tracts of land such as alienableand disposable (A & D) lands, land use,proclamation areas, and watersheds. To illustrate,the former relates directly to the mandates of theLands Management Bureau (LMB) and the LandRegistration Authority (LRA) while the latterindicates an utmost concern of the entire mappingindustry wherein NAMRIA is a key player. Forsome national government agencies and localgovernment units engaged in wide-area physicalplanning, development and management, thedetails presented by a parcel or cadastral mapcan give a very high level of accuracy but amedium- to small-scale base map is more valuablein terms of cost effectiveness, practicalconsiderations, and even area coverage.

Apparently, through the years the interestof our government has focused on themodernization of land titling and registrationsystems to solve the problems of spurious landownership (documents) and ultimately as ameasure to improve revenue collection. Thisshows that the dynamism of the real estate marketis quite overwhelming, such that this situationhas helped cast into the background the need togenerate new topographic or base maps for thewhole country. The new base maps will addressissues related to the half-century old base maps,newer but disparate datasets, and a non-standarddatabase. Well, call it a national priority or budgetprerogative but since its creation in 1987 and perits mandate, NAMRIA has been finding othermeans to produce a nationwide coverage of newtopographic maps. Because of the huge amountinvolved, foreign funding has also been sought

many times as recourse. However, the governmentis not very receptive to loan assistance consideringthe country’s tight economic situation. Otherschemes like grants and special Government ofthe Philippines (GOP) funds are still beingworked out but these options do not come easilybecause of “competing priorities” from the othersectors of the government.

Since the late 1980s, the project proposalfor new base maps has evolved to adjust to thechanges in both the mapping and informationtechnologies. The application of GIS and sourcingof data have become cost-effective. Recently,NAMRIA came out with a new version of theproposal entitled “The Establishment of theNational Common Spatial Database (NCSD) inthe Philippines.” Again, due to cost implications,the project now gives priority to the updatingand digitization of the 1:50,000-scale maps overa period of three years. Unfortunately, even withsuch priority vis-à-vis the limited annual regularappropriations of NAMRIA, this agency cannotmake this “dream come true” in the context ofurgency or immediacy.

The high degree of importance and necessityplaced by the various stakeholders and users on anew set of base maps has put pressure onNAMRIA to aggressively look for other viablefinancing options. To date, opportunities seemnot to run out yet in the light of interest shownby the Information Technology and ElectronicCommerce Council (ITECC) and the JapanInternational Cooperation Agency (JICA) toprovide the required assistance. These willinghands can envision the benefits of this project.They have given us a touch of hope.

For the mapping industry in general andNAMRIA in particular, we certainly recognizethe returns of this investment. This investmentwill not just yield the kind of map as the laymanwould ordinarily see it—a simple tool fordelineating lot boundaries or giving locationaldirections. It is an investment that sees thecombined advantage of a comprehensive digitizednational common geospatial database and the GIStechnology that aims to spur national economicdevelopment. We talk of its paramount impacton the greatest number of Filipinos. We talk ofpoverty alleviation, sustainable development,people empowerment, and effective governance.Since we need the most basic relevant information,perhaps we also need to reorder our priorities. •

Editorial......................... 2FeaturesThe Issue on.....................3The Philippine Reference...4Updates on DENR............6Integrating......8A Proposed Vision...........14

NewsPRS ‘92..........................18NAMRIA Project............18Junior GEs.......................19Geo-hazard......................19LC survey.........................20

Photo Spread..................10

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“High tide or low tide?” To the ques-tion pertaining to the Philippine islands, thiswas the memorable line of Ms. CharleneGonzales, 1994 Miss Universe beauty pag-eant finalist. Interestingly, she was right inher remark. There are many small islands thatcan only be seen during low tide and aresubmerged in water during high tide. Assuch, most of the small islands in the coun-try are still part of the unclassified publicforest of the public domain, although someof these islands are already developed de-spite the absence of land classification (LC).

Land classification is the process ofdetermining and delineating which portionsof the public forest/public domain areneeded for forest purposes and which arenot, in consonance with the criteria speci-fied by existing laws. The unclassified pub-lic forest is the mass of lands of the publicdomain which has not been the subject ofthe present system of classification for thedetermination of which lands are needed forforest purposes and which are not.

The first LC map in the country, LC-1,was classified and certified on 22 June 1920.This means that land classification activi-ties in the country started prior to this date.At that time, lands, whether located on largetracts or were part of an island, could beclassified and released as Alienable and Dis-posable (A & D), provided they were al-ready improved, developed, and occupied.

One of the laws and regulations gov-erning the proper classification and delimi-tation of the lands of the public domain isPresidential Decree (PD) number 705, other-wise known as the Revised Forestry Codeof the Philippines. Section 13 states thatthe Department Head (of the then Bureau ofForest Development, Section 4 of PD 705)shall study, devise, determine, and prescribethe criteria, guidelines, and methods for theproper and accurate classification and sur-vey of all lands of the public domain. Sec-tion 15, on the other hand, states that noland 18% in slope or over shall be classi-fied as A & D. Section 16 defines the areasneeded for forest purposes. The implement-

The Issue on Small Islandsby Marlyn A. Tabuñar1

ing guidelines of PD 705 are embodied in LCCommittee Memorandum Circular number 1,series of 1975 where the restrictions in theclassification of lands into A & D are reiter-ated and the guidelines in the zonification ofA & D areas for fishpond purposes are set.These are the same guidelines used in clas-sifying islands.

The issuance of Presidential Proclama-tion numbers 2151 and 2152 in December1981 minimized the exploitation of some smallislands by placing them under the catego-ries of wilderness areas and mangrove for-est reserves. Under these proclamations,there are more or less 4,326 hectares declaredas wilderness areas, and more or less 74,267hectares declared as mangrove forest re-serves. With the issuance of Republic Actnumber 7586 (National Integrated ProtectedAreas System Law) on 01 June 1992, the ar-eas covered by these two proclamations be-came protected areas under the administra-tive jurisdiction of the Protected Areas andWildlife Bureau. There had not been anyspecification on the sizes of islands prior tothe issuance of DENR Administrative Order(DAO) number 2000-83, which defined smallislands as islands/islets with an area of notmore than 50,000 hectares.

Issued on 13 November 2000, DAO2000-83 provided the guidelines for the man-agement and development of small islands,including their coastal areas. It requiredthe preparation and submission of an Is-land Physical Framework Plan (IPFP) for eachisland/island group. The IPFP is to be for-mulated by the provincial and/or commu-nity environment and natural resources of-ficer in consultation with other agencies, lo-cal government units, and other stakehold-ers. In this plan, islands/islets less than 500hectares in area shall be classified as strictconservation areas and as such shall not bealienated nor disposed of for any purpose.Islands/islets of 500 hectares up to 5,000hectares shall be under restricted use. Landtitling shall be limited to those with pendingapplications on classified A & D lands, as ofthe effectivity of this order. Land leases/per-

mits which are inconsistent with the IPFPshall no longer be renewed after their termi-nation. The term for a Small Island Manage-ment Agreement may be for a period notexceeding 25 years, renewable for not morethan 25 years, and subject to the approval ofthe DENR Secretary. Islands/islets above5,000 hectares and up to 50,000 hectares shallbe open to sustainable development and landtitling may be undertaken in certified A & Dlands.

Following instruction from Her Excel-lency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, during the15th Regional Development Council-Re-gional Peace and Order Council +(RDC-RPOC), DENR Secretary Elisea G. Gozun is-sued DAO 2003-06 that revoked DAO 2000-83. This new DAO cancelled the prepara-tion and submission of a small island physi-cal framework plan; and also lifted the mora-torium dated 06 July 1999 on the dispositionand granting of any title, concession, permitor lease on all small islands nationwide.Hence, all applications for land titling in clas-sified A & D lands and the issuance of leases/permits over public lands in small islands,whether new or renewed, or any extensionof the same, shall now be processed in ac-cordance with existing administrative/opera-tional procedures.

It should be noted that the present LCteams of NAMRIA are still following the cri-teria for LC as specified in PD 705 and itsimplementing guidelines. Lands that are cov-ered by presidential proclamations, execu-tive orders, and other legal issuances; andthose that are protected areas are automati-cally excluded from LC. However, small is-lands that are still part of the unclassifiedpublic forest of the public domain are stillsubject to the usual LC system and shouldmeet the minimum criteria for their classifica-tion and release as A & D.

With DAO 2003-06, NAMRIA has beenreceiving requests for the release of smallislands as A & D, for example, Ditaytayanand Cagayancillo Islands in Palawan, andNauai Island in Guimaras.•

1Remote Sensing Technologist II, Land Classification Division (RSRDAD)

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The Philippine Reference System of 1992: A Spatial Framework for Surveying andMapping towards a Sustainable Land Administration and Resource Management

by Lt. (sg) Rudolfo G. Brandes, Jr.1

Land is the primary resource of our so-ciety and the government. It is the basicfoundation for all human needs such as foodand shelter. It is a source for mineral extrac-tion and a catalyst for the upliftment of hu-man conditions. Long-term utilization ofland provides the government avenues foreconomic growth following an increase inbanking, commercial, and other land-relatedactivities.

Man’s relationship to land is dynamic.This relationship changes through the courseof time, constantly changing depending onthe requirements of a developing commu-nity. Vital as it is, land becomes defined andlimited as it answers the demands of a grow-ing population. Nowadays, the ratio of landto man in terms of area is decreasing and thethreat of scarcity and depletion of our landresources is very alarming. The mutual needbetween man and his physical environmentshould be given focus. It is for this reasonthat the government and the people shouldcollectively administer and manage our land,including the resources derived from it to beable to meet and sustain the demand.

As defined, land administration refersto the processes of recording and dissemi-nating information about the ownership,value, and use of land. These processesinclude mapping and surveying; identifica-tion of alienable and disposable lands; origi-nal land titling; transfer of title, land infor-mation, and records; taxation; and land valu-ation. Over the years, the government ex-erted much effort to create sound and effec-tive ways of administering and managing ourland. Different laws and policies were pro-mulgated and enacted, and various land gov-erning agencies were established to maxi-mize the capacity and capability of this vitalresource.

Mapping and surveying, as one of theprocesses involved in land administrationand management, plays a very important rolein providing a perspective view for betterplanning and monitoring of land and its re-sources, and for more efficient land adminis-tration policies. It should be in itself effec-tive, complete, and accurate; and should be

carried out with a single standard. It is im-perative that to strengthen a structured andintegrated approach to national surveyingand mapping, a national geodetic networkmust be present. It is in this framework thatother processes involved in land adminis-tration, that require accurate mapping andsurveying (i.e., land titling, land use, landclassification, and integrated rural land de-velopment), will be effectively implemented.The ideal function and role of a national geo-detic network was vaguely portrayed in thepast. This is due to the limited capability ofgeodetic surveying instruments then. Geo-detic surveying instruments with sufficientcapability are of paramount importance inestablishing an accurate and homogenousgeodetic network as a spatial foundation forthe integration of land-related data and in-formation.

Time and man have given the world in-novations in almost all facets of life. In map-ping and surveying, the advent of new tech-nology has modernized the processes in-volved in acquiring and representing factsabout land data and information. Satelliteand space technology has unlocked the in-formation floodgate and facilitated the flowof vital data to improve land administrationand resource management processes. More-over, with the Global Positioning System(GPS) technology, the concept of geodesyand geodetic surveying has been revolution-ized and the paradigm has been answered ofan accurate spatial framework to support thesurveying and mapping needs towards asustainable land administration and manage-ment process.

The Dilemma of the PastPrior to 1991, the existing Philippine

Geodetic Network, consisting of narrowchains of coastal triangulation, was estab-lished primarily to provide controls for thehydrographic surveying, charting, and map-ping needs of the country. Geodetic sur-veys were carried out using the method oftriangulation. Its fundamental principle is tomeasure precise angles of well-proportionedgeometric figures such as triangles and quad-

rilaterals. They are linked together like chains,resulting in a network of points establishedon the ground and relatively connected to apoint of origin or a geodetic datum. In geod-esy and geodetic engineering principles, ageodetic datum is defined by three surfaces(i.e., a spheroid or an ellipsoid, a geoid andthe topographic surface). An ellipsoid/spheroid is a mathematical representation ofthe earth brought about by its irregularity inshape and uncertainty of its true measure-ment. A geoid represents the equipotentialor gravitational surface of the earth in whichheight measurement is referred to and theplumb line of surveying instruments is nor-mal due to the gravitational pull of the earth.The topographic surface represents the fac-tual features drawn in the maps and surveyplans. In theory, in a point where the math-ematical expression of these three surfacesis known, a regional and homogenous geo-detic network may be established, fromwhich the representation of man’s physicalenvironment may be drawn using basic mapprojections and algorithms.

With the Philippine Geodetic Network,computations are made in the Luzon datum,with the spheroid (Clarke 1866) and geoidmade tangent, and correspondingly markedon the ground by a control point in Boac,Balanacan, Marinduque with coordinates oflatitude 13º 33' 41'’ and longitude 121º 52' 3'’.Thence, the science of geodetic engineer-ing principles is carried out to define thenational geodetic network. In the past, geo-detic control points were established in anelevated space to permit a clear line of sightand a longer range to adjoining triangula-tion stations (trig stations). The whole pro-cess back then was very tedious and diffi-cult, time-consuming, and costly. Thus es-tablishments of geodetic control points bythe officers and men of the Coast and Geo-detic Survey Department (CGSD) (formerlythe Philippine Coast and Geodetic Survey)were only selective and were done to caterto the need for hydrographic surveying andcharting.

The need for a geodetic network alsoemerged in the provincial and municipal lev-

1Senior Geodetic Engineer, Geodetic and Geophysics Survey Division (CGSD)

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els, to control the relative positions, extent,and orientation of land parcels; land classi-fication and forest delineation; and munici-pal and provincial boundaries delineationand delimitation. In these levels, geodeticand plane surveys were carried out usingthe method of triangulation and traverse(measurement of distance and angles) toestablish a local datum for each municipalityinterrelating adjoining municipalities. Withthe local networks, each municipality hasdefined its own local datum and from therederived the relative positions of differentfeatures of the municipal and provincial lev-els.

In viewing this scenario in the past, theestablished local networks were supposedlyconnected to the national network of thePCGS (now CGSD-NAMRIA). This antici-pated link is in consonance with the phi-losophy of a network establishment, thatestablishing a geodetic network is analo-gous to the design and creation of a jigsawpuzzle. Without an initial framework de-sign and concept, it is very difficult to re-construct the pieces of the puzzle. The PCGSput up the Philippine Geodetic Network, how-ever, because of the limitation of surveyinginstruments in the past, limited coverage ofthe national geodetic network and the rug-ged nature of the terrain, local networks werenot connected or were unreliably connectedto the national network. This situation ledto ambiguous boundaries where overlaysand gaps inevitably occurred. This resultedin a series of land-related problems such asland disputes between and among the soci-ety and local governments, land partitioncases, and the proliferation of fraudulent orfake titles.

Seemingly, the dilemma of the PhilippineGeodetic Network in the past can be tracedto the utilization of an incoherent networkdue to the absence of a link between thenational network and local networks. Thisscenario pictured a network that is not ho-mogenous and was contrary to the defi-nition given by D. R. Larden that the geo-detic network provides a common coordi-nate base which uniquely defines the inter-relationship between different layers andlevels of information.

The Philippine Reference System of 1992In 1987, the Aquino Government envi-

sioned the country’s sustainable manage-ment and development of the environmentand natural resources. By virtue of Execu-

tive Order (EO) number 192, the Departmentof Environment and Natural Resources wascreated as the umbrella department encom-passing different land and land resourcegoverning agencies. The same executiveorder mandates NAMRIA to establish a na-tionwide geodetic network that serves as acommon reference system for all surveyingand mapping activities in the country. Oneof the prime projects to support this visionwas the Natural Resources Management andDevelopment Project, an Australian-assistedproject that aimed to improve the country’seconomic status through better land admin-istration and resource management. Withthe NRMDP, different components were in-stituted to focus on the different issues in-volved, one of which was the geodetic sur-vey component.

With the geodetic survey component,the Philippine Geodetic Network was up-graded using the GPS technology. With theuse of this state-of-the-art technology, theexisting inadequate triangulation networkwas replaced with the world-standard, high-precision geodetic network that will supportthe surveying, mapping, and land informa-tion needs of the nation in the 21st century.

Among the survey activities under-taken by the NRMDP geodetic componentwere the development of a geoid model forthe Philippines, evaluation of the PhilippineGeodetic Network (Triangulation Network)and the transformation parameters to relatethe GPS satellite datum (WGS84) to theLuzon datum. Whenever possible, existingtriangulation stations were recovered andoccupied by GPS receivers to determine thedifference in the coordinates. However,analysis between the computed distancefrom the triangulation stations and GPS mea-surements revealed large errors in parts ofthe old network (up to 56 meters in latitudeand 80 meters in longitude), proving thedoubtful quality of the old network. Thisjustified the decision to establish a new net-work based on a high-precision GPS network.Moreover, there were results obtained fromthe gravity surveys, 1000 kilometers of geo-detic leveling, and observation from 25 tidalstations for the development of a geoidmodel of the Philippines. These led to theadoption of a more realistic geoid/spheroidseparation value of 0.34 meters rather thanto the assumption of a tangent or zero geoid/spheroid value.

The new set of coordinates for the geo-detic control points established, based on

the GPS network survey and computed onthe Clarke 1866 spheroid and the modifiedLuzon datum, is known as the PhilippineReference System of 1992 (PRS ’92).

By virtue of EO 45, PRS ’92 becameknown as the standard reference system forall surveying and mapping in the Philippines.All new surveys and maps shall be referredto the new network and all old surveys shallbe integrated into it, including the adjust-ment of the coordinates of the correspond-ing maps. PRS ’92 supports a broad spec-trum of spatial referencing such as mappingand surveying, hydrographic and nauticalcharting, civil engineering works, seismicand offshore exploration, and other relatedactivities. It is now the mechanism for qual-ity control and integrity of the Philippineland administration and management system.

To complete the network, PRS ’92 mustbe densified into the micro level. With theestablishment of 330 first-order geodeticcontrol points by the NRMDP in 1991, onlya skeletal framework with a nominal spacingof 50 kilometers was provided. Thus, thereis a need for densification to bring the net-work at the micro level by establishing a sec-ond and third order connected to the hierar-

MRQ-1 (Station Balanacan)

PRS ‘92 Coordinates onClarke 1866 Spheroidand Modified Luzon DatumLat = 13º 33’ 41”Long = 121º 52’ 30”

WGS 84 Coordinates onWGS 84 Ellipsoid andWGS 84 DatumLat = 13º 33’ 35.89825”Long 121º 52’ 7.97792”

The PhilippineGeodeticNetwork withdatum origin atBalanacan,Marinduque.Computed on themodified Luzondatum andClarke 1866Spheroid.

330 first-orderPRS ‘92 controlpoints wereestablishedusing the GlobalPositioningSystem

THE NEW DEFINITION OF LUZON DATUM

(MODIFIED LUZON DATUM)

• CLARKE 1866 SPHEROID

• DATUM ORIGIN – BALANACAN, MARINDUQUE with

Latitude N 13 deg 33 min 41.00 seconds

Longitude E 121 deg 52 min 3.00 seconds

Geoid/Spheroid separation of 0.34 meter

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Still ongoing is the delineation and es-tablishment of permanent forestland bound-aries, which was launched as the banner pro-gram of DENR in calendar year 2000. Theprogram effectively brought to realizationthe constitutional provision mandating Con-gress to fix the specific limits of forestlands.Coverage shall be all lands of the public do-main already classified as forestlands by theDENR and forestlands yet to be surveyedand classified out of the remaining unclassi-fied lands/public forests under the land clas-sification program. The final map outputs tobe prepared by NAMRIA, comprising setsof 1:50,000-scale digital maps, shall be thebases of Congress for enacting the specificlaws for each province. The established per-manent forestlands of each province are con-sidered by other sectors as the local forestestates.

The program serves as the overarchingframework for rationalizing equity of access,protection, sustainable development, andmanagement of forest resources. This is like-wise pursuant to and consistent with theneed to have a balanced ecosystem. It alsohighlights the critical environmental func-tions especially of forests, not only withinthe uplands but also for downstream stake-holders, e.g., agriculture, industries, settle-ments, and others.

The authority to fix the specific limits ofpermanent forestlands comes from the fol-lowing: Section 4, Article XII of the 1987Philippine Constitution; Executive Ordernumber 192; Republic Act (RA) number 3092(amending Section 1826 of RA 2711, other-wise known as the Administrative Code of17 June 1961); Presidential Decree number705, as amended, likewise known as the Re-vised Forestry Reform Code of the Philip-pines of 19 May 1975; the National Inte-grated Protected Areas System Law (RA7586); and EO 318, dated 09 June 2004, “Pro-moting Sustainable Forest Management inthe Philippines.”

Guidelines and Implementation

For operational and implementation pur-

Updates on DENR Banner Program for Forest Protectionby Jesus L. Gerardo1

poses, the DENR issued the general guide-lines through Administrative Order number2000-24, dated 09 March 2000. NAMRIAactively participated in the initial drafting ofthe guidelines.

The DENR regional offices are the keyimplementers with the following as their ini-tial priority target provinces, namely: R-1, LaUnion; R-2, Quirino; R-3, Bulacan and NuevaEcija; R-4, Oriental Mindoro; R-5,Catanduanes; R-6, Aklan; R-7, Cebu, Siquijor,and Bohol; R-8, Biliran; R-9, Zamboanga delSur; R-10, Camiguin and Bukidnon; R-11,Davao del Sur; R-12, South Cotabato; andR-13, Surigao del Norte.

Even prior to the DENR banner pro-gram, NAMRIA, for its part, initiated therelocation survey of the forestlands. Theresults of its pilot activities conducted in theprovinces of Zamboanga del Sur and NuevaVizcaya served as initial inputs of DENR inplanning for the nationwide implementation.Moreover, the National Technical WorkingCommittee (NTWC) is co-chaired by theNAMRIA administrator and has among itsmembers the respective directors of theagency’s RSRDAD and CGSD. The NTWCis supported by a technical working group(TWG), five members of which are from theRemote Sensing and Resource Data Analy-sis Department (RSRDAD) (2), CGSD (1),MD (1), and the Plans and Operations Divi-sion (1). They have expertise in integratedsurveys and mapping which are the criticalcomponent activities of the program. Threebecame regular members of the technicalteam organized by DENR to monitor andevaluate regional accomplishments from cal-endar years 2000 to 2002.

The Primary Activities

The relocation survey andmonumenting are done along boundary linesand corners that define the alienable anddisposable lands and timberlands/forest-lands depicted in LC maps. These LC maps,which number about 3,600 map sheets andinclude many pre-war produced maps, serve

as the official references for the program.Important corners situated at about one-

km intervals are considered as primary cor-ners and are marked with reinforced concretemonuments with dimensions of 30 cm x 30cm x 200 cm with footing (Figures 1a, 1b,and 1c). Embedded on the ground is 100cm, while secondary corners at intervals ofabout 250 meters are marked with concreteparallelipiped 15 cm x 15 cm x 60 cm. In-

1Supervising Remote Sensing Technologist and Officer-in-Charge, Land Resources Division (RSRDAD)

Figure 1a

Figure 1b

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scribed on the top face of the primary cor-ners are standard information such as thegeographic position of the corner (Figure 1d).

Among the many operational/imple-mentation problems encountered especiallyby DENR regional implementers during theinitial year were the lack of/non-familiaritywith LC maps and base maps, lack of pre-scribed survey instruments, lack of PRS ’92/GPS points, misidentification of LC points/corners, improper monumenting and mark-ing, inadequate/lack of supervision by re-gional officials of field activities, and lack offunds. To address them, the DENR centraloffice initiated intervention measuresthrough its respective service units for hu-man resource development and policy stud-ies. For one, various orientation trainingswere conducted in several regional venuesfor mid-level regional management staff, in-cluding surveyors and cartographers. Theaforementioned three TWG members fromNAMRIA also became regular resource per-sons.

Accomplishments and Current StatusBased on a most recent, available offi-

cial source, the DENR 2003 summary reportof accomplishments for calendar years 2000-2002, only eleven provinces have so farbeen completed, insofar as survey andmonumenting is concerned, namely: R-2,Quirino and Isabela; R-3, Bulacan andZambales; R-4, Laguna, Marinduque, andRomblon; R-6, Aklan; R-8, Biliran; and R-13,Agusan del Norte and Sur. This is not thecase with some regions and their priorityprovinces due to peace and order problems.As contained in the guidelines, NAMRIAshall finalize the regional map output whichshall be the basis for the draft bill to be pre-pared and submitted by DENR to Congress.No map has yet been finalized by NAMRIAsince no region has submitted any map out-put. Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c exemplify actualrelocation survey and monumenting activi-

ties while Figure 3 features the sample pro-posed final map layout with the scale of1:50,000.

Last March 17 during an inter-bureau/agency meeting at the Forest ManagementBureau (FMB) to review/assess the imple-mentation, DENR formally conveyed its in-tention to transfer administrative supervisionof the program from the Office of the DENRSecretary to FMB which the latter acceptedin principle.

To date, the program continues to beimplemented in some regions mostly in thedensification of PRS ’92 points, while othersappear to have token activities due either tolack of funds or lack of clear direction. Thisshall likely be the scenario until FMB offi-cially assumes total jurisdiction through aDENR administrative issuance.•Figure 1c

Figure 1d

Figure 2a

Figure 2b

Figure 2c Figure 3

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Integrating Cadastral and Orthophoto Informationby Nicandro P. Parayno1

1Engineer IV, Photogrammetry Division (MD)

BackgroundThis article presents the concept for in-

tegrating cadastral and orthophoto informa-tion. Land parcels in 2D vector models aredescribed with graphical and textual dataduring visualization. All relevant legal factssuch as designation, location, size, use, plusthe boundaries are based on cadastral sur-veys.

Photogrammetry supported by com-puter graphics is in the process of fast evo-lution. Integrating 2D and 3D vector modelsis very possible. For visualization purposes,raster images are corrected for perspectivedistortion, scaled, geo-referenced, anddraped up on the vector models.

The Cadastral ConceptCadastral surveying and mapping is a

geodetic engineering task, the main purposeof which is to subdivide large parcels of landsinto smaller ones for titling. Land use infor-mation obtained during the cadastral pro-cess is gathered not only for economic de-velopment purposes but also for additionalinformation in support of tenure or legal hold.

Every parcel of lot in the coverage areaof a cadastral survey project is assigned alot number. This shall be done consecutivelyand without duplication. An assigned lotnumber in one barangay cannot be as-signed to a certain lot in another barangayof the coverage municipality.

A cadastral project is divided into cases.One case is equivalent to one barangaywhich is made up of around 1,000 lots. TheLands Management Bureau (LMB), whichis mandated to complete at the soonest pos-sible time the cadastral surveys in the coun-try, has allowed the contracting out of thecadastral projects to private surveyors bymodule, wherein one module consists of onebarangay. A municipality with 16 barangaysmay have 16 cadastral survey module con-tractors. All the said modules will bear thesame cadastral survey number.

In a regular case, one title covers onlyone lot. There are, however, instances whena single title encompasses two or more lotswithin the same barangay, and more oftenthe said lots are adjoining. The titles con-tain, among others, the tie point where the

survey is connected to, the technical de-scription of the lot itself, the metes andbounds, the area, and the adjoining man-made and natural features.

The Cadastral Mapping SystemThere are two types of cadastral sys-

tems in the Philippines, one is graphicalcadastre and the other is numerical or regu-lar cadastre. These two systems can be ex-ecuted either by ground method or by aerialphotogrammetry. Numerical cadastre is ba-sically associated with surveying; graphi-cal cadastre, with mapping. The numericalcadastre produces bearings and distancesof boundary lines of lots with areas up tothe hundredths of a meter (derived from com-putations). On the other hand, the graphicalcadastre simply gives the shapes of the lots,with the distances of the boundary linesderived from scaling the lines on the mapsand the area determined by scaling. Thegraphical cadastre was eventually discon-tinued in favor of the more accurate numeri-cal cadastre.

Cadastral lots and other details of thecadastral surveys are plotted on reproduc-ible materials. These include a 0.003 inchdrafting film with polyester or mylar encom-passing areas within a spheroidal quadrangleof one minute of arc in latitude and oneminute of arc in longitude (approximately 1.8

km by 1.8 km), and drawn on the PhilippinePlane Coordinate System (PPCS). Cadastralmap sheets are approximately 54 cm x 54 cmin size and carry a standard scale of 1:4,000.

Sectional cadastral maps are drawn onlarger scale such as 1:2,000; 1:1,000; and 1:500on the same size as the standard cadastralmaps to show tracts of lands which appeartoo small on the standard scale of 1:4,000.These lots are usually residential lots in thepoblacion or town proper.

Cadastral maps are being used as pro-jection maps in the different DENR regionaloffices, which enable them to be periodicallyupdated. Cadastral maps which are not up-dated are the incomplete ones resulting frompre-war cadastral surveys. The DENR re-gional offices use blank 54 cm x 54 cm trac-ing paper as projection maps in lieu of thecadastral maps.

The number of concrete monuments andthe description of lot corners are indicatedon cadastral maps. The names of claimantsare also included except when there are spacelimitations. The respective lot numbers arenormally indicated in consecutive and regu-lar order. Forestlands, reservations, and othernon-alienable lands are also treated as indi-vidual lots but with remarks such as Forest-land and Military Reservation.

The cadastral maps also show thenames of claimants adjoining the projectboundaries, as well as the lines between theadjoining claims which are drawn in dashedlines. The lots from the cadastral maps andtheir corresponding survey numbers, and thenames of the claimants indicate approvedadjoining surveys.

Local names of natural features suchas mountains and all bodies of water suchas rivers, esteros (creeks), arroyos (brooks),etc., are indicated on the cadastral map. Thenames of barangays are also indicatedwithin their respective boundaries. Ease-ments are indicated either by 3, 20, or 40meters, depending on the classification ofland.

When the cadastral lot is equivalent toa previously approved survey, both the ca-dastral number and the number of the previ-ously approved survey are indicated.

Grid lines and plane coordinates, grati-cule lines and geographic coordinates, sur-vey control stations and traverse lines, po-

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A sectional cadastral map shown at scale 1:4,000

litical boundaries and monuments, and ref-erence/location monuments are also indi-cated.

The Concept of Digital Ortho PhotographsA digital orthophoto is a raster image

file stored in a format that can be used bycomputer systems with capability of han-dling an enormous amount of data. A digitalorthophoto, which is a raster, is simply a gridof information with an array of pixels corre-sponding to the information as seen on theground. A raster is therefore made up of anumber of rows and columns of pixels, whichhave an intensity value assigned to themcalled digital numbers. The values vary from0, which is black through 256 shades of gray;to 255, which is white. The images do nothave to be simply black and white for theycan also be in color. This means, however,that each color image is made up of a com-posite of three raster files with intensity val-ues for each of the primary projection col-ors: red, green, and blue.

The digital orthophoto raster imageconstitutes a fully rectified base map with Xand Y (or east and north) coordinates foreach pixel. This means that measurement ofdistances, areas, or angles in the image willbe precise and correct. In addition, there is acorresponding digital terrain model whichcomes with the product.

Cadastral Map Integration to PRS ‘92

The Need for IntegrationIn spite of the introduction of comput-

ers in the operations of several governmentactivities, the retrieval, updating, and track-

ing of cadastral maps andother data are still being donemanually. The land sector,through the years, has experi-enced a remarkable increase inclientele and in the number ofrecords to manage. It cannot,however, cope with the cur-rent situation due to severalreasons such as funding con-straints, lack of manpower andtechnical capability.

The proliferation of fakesurvey plans and land titles isbecoming a problem of thegovernment. Since most of thedocuments pertaining to landare in hard copies, it will be

easier for syndicates to fabricate duplicatecopies, thus enabling them to secure owner-ship and occupancy of the property. In ad-dition, the absence of an updated referencedata such as orthophoto and other cadas-tral information on file with the DENR LMB/Regional Lands Management Services(LMS) makes it harder to detect such spuri-ous documents.

Converting cadastral maps into digitalform and integrating them to PRS ’92 willenable the development of a Cadastral LandInformation System. At present, the Devel-opment Studies and Standards Office ofNAMRIA is spearheading efforts to up-grade and implement PRS ’92. One of themajor component activities assigned to theResearch, Development, and Extension tech-nical working group created for the en-deavor is the preparation of a standard anda specification for cadastral map integrationto PRS ’92. The chairman of the task group,Director Jose Galo P. Isada Jr. of the NAMRIAMapping Department, has identified rel-evant activities required in determining a newset of transformation parameters needed inthe integration process. Once the standardand documentations have been produced, afully computerized system can then be de-veloped for the national government agencyconcerned which will achieve, among oth-ers, the following: (1) the land/cadastral/orthophoto information can be shared withother government offices as well as the re-questing public as quickly as possible; and(2) the system can be used in expediting pro-cessing of documents, verification and ap-proval of public land application, and sub-sequent subdivision/consolidation surveys.

Conversion to Digital Cadastral MapAs of December 2002, the status of ca-

dastral surveys in the Philippines is as fol-lows: (1) from a total of 1,496 municipalities,there are 827 with approved cadastral sur-vey, 321 are in progress, 280 are partiallysurveyed, 65 are still not surveyed, and 3 areabandoned; and (2) out of 114 cities, 89 arewith approved cadastral surveys, 16 are inprogress, and 9 are partially surveyed.

Cadastral surveys that are in progressare either with ongoing fieldwork or the sur-vey returns are being verified with the DENRRegional LMS. Partially surveyed municipali-ties have a previously approved public landsubdivision, group settlement survey, and/or town-site reservation subdivision. Thissurvey covers only a certain portion of thecity or municipality, unlike the cadastral sur-vey which encompasses the entire munici-pality.

The municipalities and cities with ap-proved cadastral surveys cover 4,487,311 lotswith a total area of 17,848,035 hectares,roughly 59% of the total area of the country.However, the data stored in the different re-gional offices of DENR are all still in hardcopies but there are some regions with theircadastral maps already converted into a digi-tal format and integrated to PRS ’92.

The conversion of cadastral maps fromapproved cadastral surveys to digital for-mat will enable current coordinates used tobe integrated to PRS ’92 and will provideusers with a powerful visual and manage-ment tool for any land information system.The conversion to digital format will facili-tate management of information such asrecords of legal ownership, land assess-ments, tax records, boundary descriptionszoning, ground cover classification, and in-frastructure.

Vectorization and TransformationIn order to vectorize the cadastral map

from an analog format, it is necessary to scanto a suitable resolution that will result in animage data wherein line, point, and area fea-tures can be easily identified. This is an im-portant factor in generating a digital cadas-tral database since the accuracy of the datawill highly depend on the scanning resolu-tion used. The higher the scanning resolu-tion in terms of pixel size numerical value,the sharper the features which will be identi-fied on the scanned image.

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chy of accuracy standards. Once densifica-tion is attained, systematic and more accu-rate land information will be delivered evento the most remote locality. As a result ofunified land records, what may also be fore-casted is an improved access to nationalland information within the governmentagencies and for the public. Furthermore,the existence of a standard method in sur-veying and mapping can lead to a more com-prehensive and just land valuation. Paymentof land property taxes will be systematic,leading to an increase in our country’s rev-enue, and a projected economic growth isprobable. Through a homogenous and ac-curate national geodetic network, a system-atic land administration and managementenables higher productivity of our land bygiving the community land tenure. In effect,a soaring food production activity is ex-pected, making banking and commercialtransactions more promising.

Global Positioning System

NAVSTAR (NAVigation Satellite TimingAnd Ranging) GPS, more commonly knownas GPS, is an all-weather, high-precision,with worldwide coverage, satellite-basedpositioning system. GPS provides three-di-mensional positions in which computationis comparable to resection surveying and theprinciple of an Electronic Distance Measure-ment.

The accuracy of GPS depends on thesatellite geometry, type of receiver, station-ary or dynamic positioning, autonomous orrelative positioning, duration and number ofobservations, type of ephemerides* used,radio frequency utilized, and the methodol-ogy used in acquiring a fix. Generally, itsaccuracy and uses can be categorized intothree: navigational, mapping, and survey-ing.

GPS coordinates are provided in theWGS84 ellipsoid and WGS84 datum. Thesecoordinates must be transformed to a speci-fied geodetic datum of each country. In thePhilippine context, coordinates derived fromthis system must be made compatible with

PRS ’92.

TRANSFORMATION PARAMETERFROM WGS84 TO PRS ‘92

Translation Parameters: Delta X = 127.62195 meters Delta Y = 67.24478 meters Delta Z = 47.04305 meters Rotation Parameters: Rotation X = -3.06762 seconds Rotation Y = 4.90291 seconds Rotation Z = 1.57790 seconds Scale parameter: 1.06002

It should be noted, however, that theparameters provided by the NRMDP are onlytrue and accurate when transforming satel-lite-derived coordinates to PRS ’92 or viceversa. They do not apply to stations, maps,and plans that have been derived from theold triangulation network or control pointscoordinated using astronomical observation.

Challenges Posed to PRS ‘92

As the country seeks to alleviate pov-erty and improve economic status throughbetter administration and management ofland, an accurate and homogenous geodeticnetwork such as PRS ’92 is not the immedi-ate solution. It is only a mainstream leadingto a spectrum of downstream projects asso-ciated with it. These include production ofaccurate maps and identification of lands foragriculture and ecological balance, improv-ing the security of land tenure, and solvingthe problems associated with lost and in-complete cadastral survey records and de-lays in the issuance of land titles.

Eleven years after EO 45 was signed intolaw stipulating the utilization of PRS ’92 asthe standard reference system for all survey-ing and mapping activities in the country,only 7,417 PRS ’92 control points have beenestablished out of a projected 95,525 controlpoints for the whole archipelago. More-over, the integration of old maps and sur-vey plan was barely undertaken.

Apparently, the task ahead is gargan-tuan that focus should be given to the fullimplementation of EO 45. DENR, as the um-brella agency, is now given this challengebut the task of integration, densification, and

The Philippine Reference ...from page 5

*Ephemeris (pl. Ephemerides) - is a list of coordinates defining the orbital position of a satellite at various times. All GPS measurement processingtechniques require the input of ephemerides for the time span of the observations in order to determine a ground receiver’s position, either absolute in thepoint positioning mode, or relative when deployed in a differential mode.(Source: King, R.W., E.G. Masters, C. Rizos, A. Stolz, and J. Collins, 1985. Surveying with GPS, Monograph 9, School of Surveying, The University ofNew South Whales, Kensington, N.S.W., Australia.)

transformation is not exclusive to the De-partment. The cooperation of geodetic engi-neers, local and regional authorities, andother land governing agencies is required toensure operational effectiveness.

DENR through the NRMDP has put upa stage in the form of PRS ’92. A typicalpresentation would need, among others, ac-tors and actresses, props, lights, crew, audi-ence, and budget. Metaphorically, these canbe equated with the needs of the govern-ment to complete and maximize the utiliza-tion of this geodetic network. Sufficient andaccurate tools are needed to continue den-sification. Manpower training must also beextended to ensure competence. An ad-equate number of personnel and skilled menshould be deployed not only for surveyingand mapping, but also for maintenance,monitoring, and planning. Uniform and stan-dard operating guidelines and a technicalmanual should be provided for a solid andunified result. People and agencies underthis project should extend utmost concernand assume extreme supervision. Coordina-tion among the concerns and other imple-menting units should be likewise adopted.Just like any stage presentation, a director,who serves as the overall seer must be des-ignated to supervise all aspects of field sur-veys, research and data management,trainings, and policies. Most importantly,provision of financial resources and budgetallocation for this project should be extendedbut must be viewed in terms of the benefitsthat the government and the people will re-ceive.

EO 45, as amended by EO 280, stipu-lates full compliance to PRS ’92 by the year2005, barely a year and a half from now. Withthe enormous task ahead, can the public as-sume full compliance or will a third exten-sion be set? Will our economic status beimproved and poverty be alleviated by hav-ing an effective land administration with theuse of PRS ’92? Should we expect change inland administration by sanitizing land recordsand eradicating fake or fraudulent land titles?Will there be no more land disputes? Orwould this be another quixotic dream of ourgovernment? And with PRS ’92, should wefurther delay this precious opportunity? Theanswers lie in us.•

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Typical Screen Setup of a Data Transformation Session

Integrating ...from page 9

Orthophoto fused with vector cadastral data

As a standard procedure, it will be moreconvenient for a mapping practitioner totransform a scanned cadastral map first be-fore digitizing 2D features. This means thatonce the map has been transformed/geo-ref-erenced, all the features within the map willhave geographical positions defined by itsground coordinates.

The transformation and geo-referencingroutine usually starts with the selection ofpoints from the map to be used as “controls.”Map corners represented as grid ticks arethe usual control points used and these areinitially digitized since they have known geo-graphic positions in terms of latitude andlongitude and are converted into plane grid(X, Y) coordinates. The more control pointsto be used, the higher the level of accuracyto be attained in transformation.

Applications of Integrated Digital Cadas-tral and Orthophoto Maps

Development of Ortho-LISThe importance of digital cadastral and

orthophoto maps is growing as a conse-quence of the increasing possibilities forhandling large amounts of data. Land inves-tors, and even ordinary citizens across thenation, want to know the value of their realproperty and the taxes levied against them.Real estate companies, insurance underwrit-ers, lending institutions, land developers,and even politicians are also interested inthe value of particular parcels of property.Their corporate information requirements aretightly integrated with business require-ments. Companies and individuals like themoften employ personnel whose sole task isto research information at the city or munici-pal assessors’ office.

With the integration of digital informa-tion from cadastral and orthophoto maps,the development of an Ortho Land Informa-tion System (Ortho-LIS) will be possible andwill provide valuable real property informa-tion and more, without even requiring us toleave our homes or offices. These can bedone by overlaying transformed digital ca-dastral maps that have information such aslot numbers, lot owners, and property bound-aries onto the ortho photographs, whichdepict natural features and actual use andoccupancy of a land. Furthermore, a centraldatabase of all land owners and claimants in

a certain cadastral project can be linked withobjects in the integrated information. A tablecan also be created with records such asproperty owner, location, area, assessedvalue, and even current land use.

Once an Ortho-LIS has been developed,a mouse-click on a particular parcel will pro-vide a legal description, the actual size ofthe property showing the image, the owner,the most recent valuation, and the currentappraised value. If knowledge is neededabout the adjoining parcel, for instance, onejust needs to move the mouse over andclick. The integrated data is up-to-date, re-flecting boundary and ownership changes,or property values that may have been re-cently adjusted.

RecommendationsLarge-scale aerial photographs are the

basic sources of information used in the pro-duction of orthophoto maps. For highly ur-banized areas, they may sometimes be used

for the densification of the geodetic controlnetwork for cadastral surveying projects. Inorder to be able to integrate cadastral andorthophoto maps in the digital domain, it willbe more economical to undertake large-scaleaerial photography to maximize their useful-ness. Once integrated, the development ofthe Ortho-LIS will be possible. The Ortho-LIS will address the needs of the agenciesconcerned and the private sector, as well assettle land-related issues and concerns. •

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A Proposed Vision and Options for the Future Philippine Cadastre:A Geodetic Engineer’s Perspective1

by Engr. Randolf S. Vicente2

The SituationThe Philippines is currently undergo-

ing a rapid change brought about by a di-verse range of factors that include a grow-ing population that puts pressure on theland, a scarce and finite asset. The currentsituation that shows the major structuraldefects and deficiencies that ail the currentland administration system have resulted ininsecure property rights, uncoordinated de-velopment, poor planning and managementof land and its use, the increasing vulner-ability to disaster and environmental degra-dation, and other serious problems beset-ting the relationship between land andpeople. To prevent further deterioration ofthe existing situation and achieve a balancebetween exploitation and conservation ofland resources, there should be a just landresource management policy and program.

The above issues comprise the areas ofconcerns that strategies on sustainable de-velopment need to address. Without soundland administration, sustainable develop-ment is not attainable. It is important, there-fore, that a good land administration systemmust be designed, established, and institu-tionalized to ensure that it meets the needsof future generations and major stakehold-ers.

Today, the growing awareness of theissues, better understanding of the conse-quences of actions, and the use of relevantinformation are helping to bring about aneffective land administration in the country.Some modes of intervention that were madein the past are now being tried out to ad-dress these issues but the current situationreveals inadequacies in some respects.

This article aims to discuss and explainthe proposed vision and alternative optionstowards reinventing and improving the cur-rent cadastral system. Major stakeholdersare defined and their respective roles andaspirations are clearly elucidated. A frame-work for the reformed cadastral system willbe illustrated.

Land Administration and Cadastre The term “land administration” used

here is based on a definition adopted by theUnited Nations Economic Commission forEurope (UNECE). It refers to “the processesof recording and disseminating informationabout the ownership, value, and use of landand its associated resources.” Such pro-cesses include the determination (sometimesknown as the adjudication) of rights andother attributes of the land, the survey anddescription of these, and their detailed docu-mentation and the provision of relevant in-formation in support of land markets. Landadministration is part of the overall processof land management (Dale and Mclaren).

Land administration includes the func-tions involved in regulating the developmentand use of the land, gathering revenue fromthe land (through sale, lease, taxation, etc.),and resolving conflicts concerning the own-ership and use of the land (UNECE). Accord-ing to Dale (1999), land administration func-tions may be divided into four components:juridical, regulatory, fiscal, and informationmanagement. He also cited that such func-tions of land administration are traditionallyorganized around three sets of agencies re-sponsible for surveying and mapping, landregistration, and land valuation.

Based on the guidelines on land admin-istration of the International Federation ofSurveyors (FIG), an understanding of thebroader aspects of land management is es-sential to proper land information manage-ment. Land administration is concerned withthree commodities—the ownership, value,and use of the land—within the overall con-text of land resource management.

A cadastre is similar to a land register inthat it contains a set of records about land.FIG defines cadastre as “normally a parcel-based and up-to-date land information sys-tem containing a record of interests in land(e.g., rights, restrictions, and responsibili-ties).” It usually includes a geometric de-scription of land parcels linked with otherrecords describing the nature of interests,

the ownership or control of those interests,and often the value of the parcel and its im-provements. It may be established for fiscalpurposes (e.g., valuation and equitable taxa-tion), for legal purposes (conveyancing), toaid in the management of land and land use(e.g., for planning and other administrativepurposes), and to enable sustainable devel-opment and environmental protection.

The cadastre is an information systemconsisting of a series of maps or plans show-ing the size and location of all land parcels,together with text records that describe theattributes of the land (UNECE). In a cadas-tre, the data are organized around the cadas-tral parcel. This is generally the proprietaryland unit, but it can be any tract of land thatis part of an estate and has a separable iden-tity (Dale, 1988).

A cadastre may be classified accordingto the information it contains or the primarypurpose for which it has been developed.As such, three categories of cadastre arecommonly recognized: the juridical cadas-tre, which serves as a legally recognizedrecord of land tenure; the fiscal cadastre,which was developed primarily for propertyvaluation; and the multipurpose cadastre,which encompasses both the fiscal and thejuridical with the addition of other parcel-related information. Among the three catego-ries, the multipurpose cadastre is the clos-est to the universal concept of land informa-tion system.

Conceptual FrameworkThe design of the relevant, complete,

efficient, and sustained cadastral reformsdepends on the recognition of the majorstakeholders in a cadastral system. In thisarticle, three major stakeholders are identi-fied. These include the government, benefi-ciaries, and professionals. On the one hand,their roles and aspirations must be taken intoconsideration whenever an attempt to im-prove the system is necessary. On the otherhand, it is likewise important that weaknessesof the current system must be looked into in

1This is a condensed and modified version of the original paper, with the same title, a copy of which may be requested from the author.2Planning Officer V and Assistant Officer-in-Charge, DSSO-NAMRIA (the author is the holder of a Diploma in Land Use Planning and a Master ofScience degree in Remote Sensing)

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Beneficiaries Professionals

Vision and Options (Legal, Technical and Institutional)

Cadastral System

(Issues and Weaknesses)

Efficient and Modern Cadastral Systems andInfrastructure

Efficient Land Administration

Sustainable Development and Social Justice

Government

Figure 1 – Framework for Reform in Cadas-tral Systems

order to define the core problem towardsbuilding up public advocacy for reform andappropriate solutions and strategies. Figure1 shows the diagram illustrating the Frame-work for Reform in Cadastral Systems.

The land business of the governmentmay be simplified and explained by the fol-lowing questions: Who owns it? Where isit? What is its worth? What is on it? Whatare its boundaries? Who can use it? Whatcan be done with it? How can we improve it?Answers to these questions may not be avail-able instantly unless one has access to agood land information system or cadastre.The efficient and effective administration ofland and its associated resources dependsupon the availability of good land informa-tion as it serves as the bedrock of good de-cision making and good governance. Gov-ernment intervention is more concerned withthe promulgation of the appropriate nationalland policy and other related initiatives thatare necessary to address the structural dys-functions on cadastral systems.

The beneficiaries (individual settlers,realtors, banks, and other financial institu-tions) comprise the stakeholders who arepresently affected by the current problemsand who potentially benefit directly from thereforms in the cadastral system. Their needsand aspirations may include evidence of landownership, which a cadastre provides alongwith security; and the reduced and elimi-

nated risk of eviction, which is thus an en-hanced incentive to invest in the land orproperty. Once these are adequately ad-dressed, the influence on investments willin turn give higher output or benefit as wellas higher income and value, ultimately re-sulting in the improvement of the economy.

Professionals in land cadastral opera-tions are considered as major stakeholdersbecause their practice enables the public toformally obtain and keep legal rights to theirproperties and conduct land transactionscorrectly and expeditiously. Their practice isformally recognized by government agenciesand bounded by existing rules and proce-dures so they can serve as important sourcesof information regarding the technical na-ture of problems in the existing system. Be-cause of their expertise, professionals havethe ability to work with the existing systemdespite its problems. As licensed profes-sionals they operate mainly to protect theinterests of property owners despite the de-ficiencies and ambiguities in the system thatimpose constraints on their efficiency.

Having recognized the three major stake-holders and the issues and weaknesses ofthe system, a vision and options can thenbe defined which may be classified into le-gal, technical, and institutional. These items,however, will be discussed in the latter partof this article.

The lower part of Figure 1 connotesthat if proposed options were adopted, effi-cient and modern cadastral systems and in-frastructure would be inevitable and resultin an efficient land administration, i.e., effi-cient land and property markets and securedtenurial rights that support economic devel-opment. Under such conditions, sustainabledevelopment and social justice are foresee-able which in turn depend on other factors.

Definition of the ProblemWhen does a cadastral system become

a problem, or under what condition willgovernments be compelled to reinvent thecurrent inefficiencies in the cadastral sys-tem? Obviously, it becomes a problem and apriority for improvement if issues and weak-nesses exist in quite a number of conditions.These are: the identification of rights in land,especially rights of occupancy and use; thesecurity in buying, selling, mortgaging, in-heriting, leasing, renting, and enjoyment ofeasements over land; the control of nationaland local authorities over ownership and use

rights, respectively; the restrictions and re-sponsibilities relating to the individual par-cel and access to information by the landowner or user; the illegal occupation of gov-ernment or private land that results from theinfringement of formal land use controls; thelong established settlement that has notbeen brought within the formal registrationsystem; the vacant lands subject to un-proven claims; the inability of the cadastralsystem to keep pace with urban growth; theforms of tenures to cover from informal toformal systems; the definition of land parceland a common system of land parcel refer-encing; the responsibility of different orga-nizations over the recording of ownershipand use rights; the exchange and compat-ibility of data among different organizations;the recording rights over land and those con-cerned with land administration and manage-ment; the integration of the land title regis-try and cadastral systems and their link withother land administration and managementactivities such as valuation and planning;and the cadastral system’s support to effec-tive land markets, increased agricultural pro-ductivity, sustainable economic develop-ment, environmental management, politicalstability, and social justice.

Such conditions are real and make upthe scenario in the country today. They cancharacterize the country’s existing cadas-tral system. In addition, other predicamentscan be cited: weaknesses under the currentpractice of cadastral surveying; lack of sup-port from the implementing agency; inad-equacies in implementing structure, mecha-nisms, strategies, policies, and guidelines;technological innovations unexplored insome areas; lack of qualified and competentmanpower complement; and poor supervi-sion and management by the implementingagency/unit. Such problems signal the needfor an improved cadastral system to achievethe vital reforms in land administration.

A look at the most recent status of ca-dastral surveys affords us with a differentperspective of the problem. The first cadas-tral project conducted was that of the PilarCadastre which was carried out in 1909. Asof 2001, the cadastral survey of 917 cities/municipalities are already approved, 337 sur-veys are in progress, 291 localities are par-tially surveyed, and 68 are still unsurveyed.The percentage accomplished is shown inTable 1. As of December 2001, about 9.3 mil-

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lion hectares or 66% of the 14.1 million hect-ares of alienable and disposable lands hadbeen titled either administratively or judi-ciously.

to continue the programs and only few ofthe activities are sustained to date. What-ever their contributions to land administra-tion and cadastre have yet to be assessed.Their focus, however, is on specific problemareas and issues and the need for a unifiedinstitutional approach to the delivery andmanagement of land administration servicesis not addressed.

A Unified InterventionThe framework for the long-term Land

Administration and Management Program(LAMP) was set out by the GOP/World Bank(WB) Fact-finding Mission in 1998. Theoverall goal of the program is to alleviatepoverty and enhance economic growth byimproving the security of land tenure andfostering efficient land markets in rural andurban areas, through the development of anefficient system of land titling and adminis-tration which is based on clear, coherent, andconsistent policies and laws and is sup-ported by an appropriate institutional struc-ture. It was designed as the first step to-wards the implementation of the proposedlong-term (15-20 years) LAMP of the GOP.The first phase will be implemented over a30 to 36-month period with the followingplanned outputs: (a) agreement on the policychanges necessary to implement the long-term LAMP, supported by draft legislationas appropriate; (b) successful implementa-tion of the two prototypes – the land titlingand administration and land records and in-formation management; and (c) the detaileddesign and costing of the first phase ofLAMP, which will scale up the proceduresdeveloped in Phase I. The project has fourcomponents. These are Land Policy and KeyIssues Studies, Prototypes, InstitutionalDevelopment, and Preparation of Subse-quent Phases.

LAMP Phase I came out with certainkey legal, technical, and institutional recom-mendations related to the cadastral system.For a medium-term horizon, the legal recom-mendation is the amendment of DAO 98-12,on the Manual for Land Surveying Regula-tions in the Philippines, to provide a moreappropriate framework for modern surveypractices. Technical recommendations in-clude, among others, the introduction of digi-tal orthophoto maps and satellite imageriesfor validation of old surveys. Institutionalrecommendations include, among others, the

client-focus shift through the establishmentof One-Stop-Shops (OSSs) and the devel-opment of their internal systems and proce-dures.

For a long-term horizon, the legal rec-ommendations include, among others, therationalization and codification of laws onpublic land disposition and land registration.Technical recommendations include, amongothers, the formulation of manuals for thedetection of fake titles, office validation, fieldvalidation, and Cadastral Index Map produc-tion. Finally, the institutional recommenda-tions include the creation of Special Adju-dication Teams; the setting up of theBarangay Advocacy Group; and the cre-ation of an autonomous Land Administra-tion Authority which has a clear mandate tolead and manage long-term reforms in theland administration system.

Given the above recommendations, thefollowing questions are raised. Do the keyrecommendations address the current is-sues/concerns/problems on land administra-tion or cadastral system? Are the reformsintroduced in the current system relevant,appropriate, and complete? Will there be anefficient system to support the land busi-ness of the government? Do they offer in-novations that allow professionals to pro-tect the interests of the beneficiaries? By thetime the project terminates, are the land rightsof individual settlers protected? What willbe the contribution of the program to landdevelopment and its impact on land andproperty markets?

The program, which is an integrated/unified approach towards a reformed landadministration system, must see to it thatthe indicators of success as reflected in itsLogical Framework Matrix are satisfied. It willbe too early, however, at this time to answersuch questions and draw conclusions as theprogram has not yet reached its completionstage. Nonetheless, much is expected fromthis initiative of the government. Futurephases or plans (e.g., LAMP Phase II) shouldbe designed based on adoptable or replicableinnovations and lessons learned. Practicallyspeaking, the success of the program, spe-cifically in the area of cadastre, is not depen-dent on the technical sophistication, butwhether it encompasses genuine legal andinstitutional reforms that satisfy the needsand aspirations of the major stakeholders inland administration and management.

Table 1 – Percentage Accomplished on CadastralSurveys

Source: LMB, Cadastral Survey Profile: Techni-cal Bulletin No. 7

Table 1 reflects the magnitude of workyet to be accomplished. A cadastral systemdoes not stop at the survey level. If it sup-plies records of interests in land, then itshould transcend up to registration, valua-tion, and utilization of the land. It should beseen as a system that supports effective landmarkets, agricultural productivity, sustain-able economic development, environmentalmanagement, political stability, and socialjustice. Justifiably, the cadastral survey isnot an end in itself. It is just part of thewhole cadastral system.

Disjointed InterventionsThe present land administration system

was the subject of several studies con-ducted in the past. Recognizing the magni-tude of land-related problems, the Govern-ment of the Philippines (GOP) made severalattempts in collaboration with other donorcountries. These are: a review and pilot pro-gram development on cadastral survey, ti-tling, and registration activities (USAID,1979); geodetic surveys and piloting of reg-istration and records management activities(AusAID: Natural Resources Managementand Development Project, 1989-1994); thepreparation of a Land Resource ManagementMaster Plan (DENR, 1993); and support forLGUs in six rapidly growing cities to imple-ment their responsibilities under the LocalGovernment Code which included the de-velopment of a computer-based GIS for taxmapping and property assessment(AusAID/ADB: Philippine Regional Munici-pal Development Project, 1999-2001). Whilesuch initiatives sought to address criticalissues in land administration and cadastralsystems, the implementing agencies failedto gain support of government and donors

STATUS NO. OF CITIES / MUNICIPALITIES % OF TOTAL

Approved 917 56.9 In progress 337 20.9

Partially Surveyed 291 18 Unsurveyed 68 4.2

Total 1,613 100

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Proposed Vision and Options for theFuture Philippine Cadastre

What were discussed in the previoussections of this article are generally the nec-essary preliminary steps to allow us to as-sess and think of a better solution to thecurrent inefficiencies in cadastral systems.Figure 2 illustrates the methodical steps fordefining the visions and options for a re-formed system.

administration and management, ultimatelyrealizing sustainable development and so-cial justice. These conditions may be real-ized if appropriate modes of intervention and/or options are drawn in addition to what hadalready been initiated.

While the basic justification for cadas-tral systems are economic development, en-vironmental management, and social stabil-ity, different countries will place greater im-portance on different areas at different peri-ods of their development. Developing coun-tries like the Philippines are more concernedwith economic growth, the protection of landrights, and the reduction of land and bound-ary disputes. Unlike in western developedcountries and those moving from a com-mand economy to a market economy, theytend to be more concerned with increasedefficiency and micro-economic reform, andthe rapid creation of a new system in sup-port of economic development and efficientland markets, respectively. In all countries,however, there is the concern that cadastralsystems support social justice.

With the present stage of the country’sdevelopment and the corresponding meagerresources, what options do we have andsteps to re-engineer the current system tosatisfy these conditions and realize the en-visioned cadastral system?

In order to facilitate the planning anddevelopment of a national cadastral infra-structure which will satisfy the escalatingneeds of a greatly increasing population,several options may be adopted. First is theformulation and development of a NationalLand Policy, which defines the rule of thelaw and how land can be owned and used. Itgenerally relates to economic development,social justice and equity, and political stabil-ity.

The cadastre can support land policiesby providing a legal framework for adminis-tering land rights. A land right frameworksupports, among others, structural change,environmental protection and sustainablemanagement, and control of natural re-sources and environment. It also providestools for the implementation of land policiessuch as land consolidation, resolving landdisputes or compulsory acquisition of land.

Technical options for the developmentand maintenance of the cadastre depend onthe needs of the country and its stage ofdevelopment. Any move towards the adop-tion of a program for computerization should

be subject to the availability of trained staffor service providers, access to maintenanceand support staff, adequate communicationsand a suitable storage capability. The movefor computerization should bring security tothe cadastral system, greater accessibility toinformation, and overcome the deteriorationof records in paper form.

As far as institutional options are con-cerned, there is a variety of alternatives inselecting the most appropriate structure formanaging the cadastre. These are: a combi-nation of land registration, cadastral sur-veying, and mapping functions; a decen-tralized system; establishment of strong link-ages among different authorities responsiblefor maintaining records on the ownership,value, and use of land; commercialization,corporatization or privatization of cadastre;extensive participation by private GeodeticEngineers in a state-run cadastre; harness-ing the role of professional bodies and non-governmental organizations and the admin-istration of Professional Regulatory Boards;regulation of responsibilities, accountabil-ity, and quality assurance; ensuring fund-ing arrangements for the creation or devel-opment of a cadastre; implementing educa-tion, training, and continuing professionaldevelopment; research and development;and strengthening international cooperation.

With the question as to when the vi-sion can be realized, based on Figure 2, thenext step is consensus building. That is, therehas to be an agreement on whether to adoptthe above-cited vision or to accept the vari-ous options presented. Finally, courses ofactions should be identified and rationalizedprior to plan formulation. These steps, how-ever, would require another article to dis-cuss and explain these downstream activi-ties.

Conclusion Sustainable development depends on

good land administration and good land ad-ministration depends on efficient and mod-ern cadastral systems and infrastructure.This means that development efforts,whether government or private, must con-sider the parcel affected by them.

The author believes the concept that“a cadastral parcel is the basic unit of hu-man activity.” Each parcel of land occupiesa unique physical relationship with everyother parcel of land. This is because in ev-

In the previous section the major stake-holders and their needs and aspirations,weaknesses of the present cadastral system,and gaps under past and current initiativeswere identified. Taking these and consider-ing other factors, the proposed vision canbe stated as, “An efficient and modern ca-dastral system and infrastructure that pro-vides good land information, protects landrights, underpins sustainable land use anddevelopment, facilitates efficient land andproperty markets, supports the land busi-ness of stakeholders, and sustains long-termadministration and management of landand its associated resources.”

The future state of the country’s ca-dastre must satisfy its function of provid-ing reliable and up-to-date information onmatters about land ownership, value and use.It must be an instrument in adequately pro-tecting rights over land. It is also envisionedthat the system and the infrastructure ap-purtenant to it should serve as regulatorymechanisms for utilizing and developing landin a sustainable manner. The future state mustalso focus on the economic utility of the landas a scarce resource. It must also be respon-sive to the needs of the different stakehold-ers and play its role to ensure efficient land

Course of Action

Consensus Building

State the Vision and Identify Options

Define the Problem and Assess Interventions

Identify Issues and Weaknesses

Identify Major Stakeholders

Figure 2 – Stages of Framework Implementation

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News

DENR Secretary Elisea G. Gozun hassought the approval of Malacañang for theextension of the mandatory fullimplementation of PRS ’92 from 2005 to 2015.In a memorandum to the President dated 07May 2004, the Secretary cited the poorcompliance to PRS ’92 as the reason for theextension. As of February 2004, there wasonly 10.3% accomplishment. Out of the

PRS ’92 mandatory implementation for extensionby Concepcion A. Bringas

national target of 108,364geodetic control points,only 11,159 geodetic controlpoints were established,and no completeintegration of survey andmaps to the system hasbeen done for anymunicipality. The low levelof accomplishment wasattributed to inadequatefunds and shifting ofpriorities of differentadministrations.

The request alsoincluded the granting toDENR the authority toallocate funds for theactivity and to designate anagency to monitor thecompliance. The Secretaryhas also issued guidelines

for the implementation of PRS ’92 to theDENR concerned units: NAMRIA, LMB,FMB, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau(MGB), the Parks and Wildlife Bureau(PAWB), and the offices of the RegionalTechnical Directors for Lands. The LMS/Field Network Survey Party (FNSP) underthe Regional Technical Director’s office shallestablish and maintain a minimum of three

geodetic control points in every barangayin 3rd and 4th orders. NAMRIA shall establishand maintain the 1st to 3rd orders of PRS ’92geodetic control points.

NAMRIA and LMB shall implement aprogram for the transfer of GPS and otherPRS ’92-related technologies to LMS.NAMRIA shall continue to evaluate GPSsurvey data until the time the LMS technicalstaff can perform the job with competency.The calibration and certification of GPSreceivers registered with LMB shall be doneeither by the two agencies before theirdispatch to the field.

The order also requires thetransformation into PRS ’92 of all surveys,ENR maps and all previously establishedreference monuments such as PBMs, CBMs,MBMs, BBMs, BLLMs, BLLMs, BLBMsand project controls. NAMRIA shall providea developed set or sets of transformationparameters for the whole country.

In compliance with the departmentdirective, the NAMRIA Data Analysis TaskGroup headed by Mapping DepartmentDirector Jose Galo P. Isada Jr. is gatheringpreliminary data in the cities of Butuan,Surigao and Davao for the development ofguidelines for the integration of existingsurveys into PRS ’92. The Information,

NAMRIA Administrator, Usec. Diony A. Ventura addressesparticipants during the Focused Group Discussion forMetro Manila and Southern Luzon.

The NAMRIA-proposed projectentitled “Improvement of the LGU CoastalManagement Process Using Remote Sensingand GIS” was finally endorsed by theNational Economic and DevelopmentAuthority to the Swedish InternationalDevelopment Cooperation Agency (Sida) forfunding assistance on 16 January 2004. ASida representative, Mr. Arne Carlsgard,arrived in the country on 21 March 2004 forthe assessment and refinement of theproposal.

The undertaking is a complementary

NAMRIA project receives endorsement from NEDAby Benjamin P. Balais1

effort to the initial assistance provided byNAMRIA in an earlier project on thedevelopment of GIS for the local governmentunits LGUs). In this undertaking, LGUs willbe further assisted in the use of advancedtechnologies, GIS and Remote Sensingtechnologies, particularly in thedevelopment of an application system tohelp their strengthen and enhance theircoastal resources planning and management.

Bataan, Batangas, and Bohol LGUs arethe pilot project areas. The pilot LGUs, atthe completion of the project, are expected

to have respectively created a digitaldatabank containing, among others, thebiophysical characteristics of the aquaticresources, habitats and ecosystem of thepilot areas; and socio-economic profile. Theexpected outputs are customized GIS-basedprofiling system on municipal and provinciallevels and application developmentaddressing coastal management issues ofthe pilot areas.

The proposed two-year project isscheduled to commence in the early part of2005.•

1Information Technology Officer II, Database Management Division (Information Management Department)

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Engr. Randolf S.Vicente (fifth fromright) holds the trophyawarding the GeodeticEngineers of the Phil-ippines (GEP)-NCR asthe Most OutstandingRegional Division forFY 2004 in ceremoniesheld on 17-19 June2004 at the Oasis Coun-try Resort, SanFernando City, LaUnion. This is the sec-ond time for GEP-NCR to be given such an award, the first being in 1993. With Engr.Vicente are the GEP Board of Governors and the GEP-NCR participants. Also last year’swinner, Engr. Vicente himself was given his second award as Most Outstanding GEPRegional President, this time for FY 2004.

Junior Geodetic Engineers may nowupgrade their position to Geodetic Engineerwithout having to take the board examinationfor Geodetic Engineers, by virtue of RepublicAct (RA) number 9200. RA 9200 amendedthe Philippine Geodetic Engineering Act of1998 or RA 8560 and its implementing rulesand regulations took effect in January 2004.

Under RA 8560, the certificate ofregistration and the professional licensewere issued only to successful GE boardexaminees. The conduct of the Junior GEboard examination was stopped andincumbent Junior GEs were required to finishthe BS GE course and take the licensureexamination within five years.

Under RA 9200, all incumbent Junior GEsshall be issued a certificate of registrationand a professional identification cardwithout having to take the GE boardexamination. The provision applies toincumbent Junior GEs who have been in theactive practice of the GE profession for atleast three years and are Bachelor of Sciencedegree holders in Geodetic or CivilEngineering or are Associates in GeodeticEngineering or Surveying.

Junior GEs qualified for upgrading toGE without examination are required to filetheir application for upgrading within threeyears from the effectivity of the law. Theyare also to update their knowledge of theprofession through continuing professionaleducation or appropriate distance learning,as prescribed by the Professional RegulationCommission, within three years uponapproval of their application. RA 9200requires duly registered Junior GEs tocontinue to practice as such until theirapplication for upgrading as GEs shall havebeen acted upon by the existing ProfessionalRegulatory Board of Geodetic Engineering,but not beyond three years from theeffectivity of the law. There are presentlyabout 5,774 Junior GEs in the country.•

Junior GEs benefitfrom RA 9200by Nicandro P. Parayno

Geo-hazard mapping to producelandslide (triggered by rainfall andearthquake) susceptibility maps wasundertaken by four government agencies,namely: NAMRIA, MGB; the PhilippineInstitute of Volcanology and Seismology(PHIVOLCS); the Bureau of Soils and WaterManagement; and the PhilippineAtmospheric, Geophysical, andAstronomical Services Administration.

The collaborative undertaking came inthe aftermath of the landslide tragedy thathit Panglao Island in the province ofSouthern Leyte in December 2003. Thenational government acted on the directiveof the President to organize an inter-agencyworking group that would produce thelandslide susceptibility maps for the country.

These maps will provide indicativeinformation in identifying the areas in thecountry where landslide-related disastersmay occur, based on the criteria and ratingsused by the collaborating agencies.

The initial phase of the work was startedin January covering Regions 5, 8, andCARAGA. The activity included datacollection of relevant information contributedby the participating agencies. The datasetcame in graphical format which was processedand analyzed using GIS technology.Outputs for the phase was presented at

Geo-hazard mappingby Benjamin P. Balais

DENR last 15 January. NAMRIA led byAdministrator Diony A. Ventura presentedthe hazard map for rainfall-triggeredlandslides. MGB presented the hazard mapfor floods while PHIVOLCS presented anearthquake-triggered landslide susceptibilitymap.

The technical working groups were ableto develop the hazard assessment andsusceptibility analysis methodology basedon the expertise, functions, and mandates ofmember agencies. The GIS technology wasadopted in the compilation and integrationof outputs as well as in the analyticalprocedure. Indicative and preliminary resultswere due to the use of criteria maps at scaleof 1:250,000 to generate the composite hazardmaps.

The second phase which commencedin March 2004 covered the National CapitalRegion; Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7; and theCordillera Administrative Region.

Evaluation, field verification, andrefinement of outputs will be undertaken inPhase 3. PHIVOLCS and MGB shall take thelead in the development of an interactive,user-friendly, real-time, and GIS-based geo-hazard monitoring system.•

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ery community, there exists a variety of landuses. Each parcel is the focus of a complexbut singular set of space relationships withthe social and economic activities centeredon all other parcels. It is therefore importantthat administration and management of thisunit of human activity must be given prior-ity attention.

The framework illustrated in this articlesomehow provides a better understandingof the significance of why there should be aneed to reinvent and improve the current ca-dastral systems and infrastructure. Initia-tives that are being carried out and thosethat will be taken in the future must considerthe stakeholder-oriented vision to ensurethat upcoming undertakings will be legally,technically, and institutionally sound. Les-sons learned from past and ongoing effortsmust be responsive to the needs of the soci-ety and in harmony with local conditions.•

Education, and Communication Task Groupchaired by Information ManagementDepartment Director Linda SD. Papa haslined up for the year a series of trainings onGPS for the LMS/FNSP. The training for thefirst batch was held on 21- 25 June 2004.

The DENR’s favorable action on the PRS’92 issue has supported the NAMRIA andLMB positions which were based on theresults and agreements reached during theregional focused group discussions (FGD)conducted on 19 February-02 March 2004.Discussions were held in Baguio City forNorthern Luzon; Manila for Metro Manilaand Southern Luzon; Cebu City for Visayas;and Davao City for Mindanao. The FGDactivity was initiated by NAMRIA throughthe Development Studies and StandardsOffice, in cooperation with LMB.•

A Proposed ...from page 17

PRS ‘92 ...from page 18

The LC survey of Culion, Palawan, cov-ering a total area of 37,084.52 hectares, wasrecently completed by the Land Classifica-tion Division of NAMRIA. Classified were10,758.43 hectares for agricultural purposes(alienable and disposable); 23,927.11 hect-ares for forestland (upland); and 2,398.98hectares for forestland (mangrove). Theboundary between areas for forestland pur-poses and those for agricultural purposeswas monumented at an interval of every 250meters.

The collaboration of DENR, NAMRIA,and the local government of Culion to fast-track the LC survey of the municipality is incompliance with Republic Act number 9032,an act expanding Culion’s area of jurisdic-tion. The survey, which was started in De-cember 2002, took more than a year for itscompletion. There was the lack of funds af-ter the conduct of the initial survey. Theundertaking was continued with the finan-

LC survey of Culion, Palawan completedby Marlyn A. Tabuñar

cial assistance of DENR in the estimatedamount of P819,908.00. The densificationof LC monuments and Ground PositioningSystem control points were conducted inJanuary and March 2004.

When finished, the survey project re-port and the corresponding map will be pre-sented for review and evaluation to theNational Sub-classification Secretariat,which serves as the Technical WorkingGroup of the National Technical EvaluationCommittee (NTEC). It is the NTEC that en-dorses the final documents to the DENRSecretary for the approval and issuance ofthe relevant Department AdministrativeOrder. With the effectivity of the DAO, theLC map of Culion, Palawan becomes officialand can be utilized specifically in the prepa-ration of the cadastral map and the surveyby the LMB.•