Cagayan de Oro City. To efficiently assist partner national government agencies in the implementation of Republic Act 10023, otherwise known as the “Act authorizing the Issuance of Free Patents to Residential Lands,” the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Region X (DENR X) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Education (DepEd)-Oroquieta City Division on February 22, 2022.

The signing of the MOU was aimed to serve the land titling program of the government to legitimize occupation of public lands actually occupied and used for public schools through the enactment of R.A. 10023 which gives the DENR the mandate to adjudicate untitled public alienable and disposable lands through a more efficient and less costly process and issuance of special patents.

Regional Executive Director (RED) Henry A. Adornado led the signing with Roberto D. Napere, Jr. Ph.D, Assistant School Division Superintendent signed on behalf of Schools Division Superintendent Reynaldo E. Manuel, Jr., PhD. of the DepEd.

RED Adornado lauded the entire DepEd-Oroquieta City Division for initiating the signing of the MOU with the department for the issuance of the special patent. He also assured DepEd officials the full support of CENRO Oroquieta City to meet all the needed assistance in the conduct of activities as stipulated in the MOU. He further added that the partnership was also implemented during the time of former DENR Secretary Ramon JP Paje with then DepEd Secretary Armin A. Luistro.
Roberto D. Napere, Jr. Ph.D, of DepEd thanked RED Adornado, Misamis Occidental PENRO Rey S. Fernandez and CENRO Thomas L. Cardente and staffs for supporting this endeavor.

Under the MOU, the DepEd-Oroquieta City Division will designate a permanent focal person/s to facilitate all related transactions in the filing of application for Special Patent with the DENR, shoulder the costs in hiring private Geodetic Engineer for the conduct of survey to all school sites that requires subdivision surveys, and provide the DENR representative to access to school sites in the conduct of actual investigation/inspection.

The DENR was tasked to assign a permanent desk officer to guide and provide technical assistance to the DepEd in all phases of the application for the Special Permit. The office will also issue necessary Survey Authority to hired Geodetic Engineers of the DepEd in the conduct of subdivision survey and processes of application within the allotted number of days pursuant to R.A. 10023, subject to the completeness of the requirements submitted by the DepEd-Oroquieta City Division.

It was witnessed by DepEd officials namely Perlinita L. Gloduve, Chief, Education Supervisor, School Governance and Operations Division; Louie B. Roferos, DepEd, Administrative Officer V; Joy B. Roferos, DepED, Education Program Supervisor I; and DENR officials’ Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Aldrich S. Resma; Misamis Occidental PENR Officer Rey S. Fernandez; Oroquieta City CENR Officer Thomas L. Cardente; and Ozamiz City CENR Officer Guilry D. Cabatuan.

The MOU was part of the itinerary of RED Adornado during his first visit to the province of Misamis Occidental to interface with CENRO officials and personnel in Oroquieta City and Ozamiz City. #TayoAngKalikasan (RSCIG MR No. 03-070-2022)