(Photo courtesy of PNA)
BAGUIO CITY – A regional trial court has nullified an ancestral land title and 16 related land titles covering approximately 63 hectares of the government-owned Baguio Animal Breeding and Research Center, a property reserved for livestock breeding and agricultural research since 1940.
In a 46-page decision dated October 12, Regional Trial Court Branch 6 Judge Michael Francisco granted the petition filed by the Republic of the Philippines seeking the annulment of documents and cancellation of land titles involving the government facility.
The court declared invalid an ancestral land title covering 631,108 square meters in Reservation Section J, Baguio City, along with the March 19, 2009 resolution of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) that authorized its issuance.
The ruling also nullified the original certificate of title issued under the ancestral land title and 15 subsequent transfer certificates of title.
The court ordered the Baguio City Register of Deeds, in coordination with the Land Registration Authority, to cancel the affected titles, update official land records, and restore the property to the Republic under the administration of the appropriate government agencies.
However, the decision clarified that other properties covered by ancestral land titles in Tuba, Benguet, are not affected by the ruling.
The disputed property forms part of a 941,343-square-meter reservation established under Presidential Proclamation No. 603 in 1940. The proclamation designated portions of Mount Santo Tomas in Baguio City and Tuba, Benguet, for animal breeding under the Bureau of Animal Industry.
The facility was subsequently placed under the Department of Agriculture’s Cordillera regional office to support livestock development and agricultural research programs.
The court also cited a lis pendens annotation on the original title, indicating that the property was subject to ongoing litigation and that subsequent buyers had been notified of the legal dispute.
Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Regional Director Jennilyn Dawayan welcomed the ruling, describing it as the result of more than two decades of efforts to protect the government facility.
“No matter how long the journey takes (more than 20 years), we remain strong to ensure that this government facility continues to serve its purpose while safeguarding what rightfully belongs to the Republic,” Dawayan said in a social media post Wednesday.
She noted that the legal battle involved several challenges, including the demolition of structures and threats to the safety of government personnel and facilities.
Dawayan also reported favorable outcomes in other related property disputes, including cases involving land along Marcos Highway, where certain areas were recognized as part of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ road right-of-way.
The DA official described the decision as a collective achievement of government personnel who worked to preserve the property for public use despite the lengthy legal proceedings.
