ILOILO City – Concerns have been raised over the issuance of homestead patent titles covering vast tracts of mangrove areas in this city, prompting calls for a thorough investigation into whether public, environmentally critical lands were illegally privatized.
The questioned titles reportedly cover mangrove zones in barangays Bitoon and Balabago in Jaro district and Barangay Hinactacan in La Paz — areas considered protected ecosystems and inalienable under Philippine law.
Mangroves are classified as environmentally critical areas and are not disposable lands subject to private ownership.
“This is very alarming because we are talking about mangrove areas. These are supposed to be protected lands. Mangroves are not disposable lands and should not be subject to homestead patents,” said Councilor Romel Duron, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s Committee on Environment.
He urged the city government to scrutinize how the titles were issued.
The issue surfaced after a road right-of-way was sought across adjacent private properties to connect shoreline parcels to coastal roads.
This prompted affected landowners to question the validity of the homestead titles.
Documents presented to the council show the disputed properties span hundreds of thousands of square meters: one title covering about 70,000 square meters, another 220,000 square meters, and a third approximately 210,000 square meters — all allegedly within mangrove and coastal ecosystems.
Also under scrutiny are City Assessor’s Office certifications dated October 5, 2025, which classified the areas as agricultural land.
How can these be agricultural when there is clearly no farming activity and the area is part of the coastal and mangrove ecosystem of the Iloilo Strait, Duron asked.
“This is not just a technical issue. This is an environmental issue, a legal issue, and a governance issue,” he said. “If these titles were issued illegally, then they must be cancelled and the land should be reverted to the public domain.”
He cited Supreme Court rulings affirming that even the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has no authority to issue land titles over mangrove areas. “The law is very clear. Mangroves are inalienable. They cannot be privately owned,” he stressed.
A review of tax declarations linked to the properties was likewise urged, warning that such documents may lend an appearance of legitimacy.
Beyond legality, the concern centers on public safety and climate resilience.
“Once mangroves are gone, we cannot bring them back easily. We are risking lives and communities if we allow this to continue,” Duron warned, noting mangroves’ role as natural buffers against flooding and storm surges.
Iloilo City’s Cong. Julienne Baronda earlier raising similar concerns in Congress./PN
