Iloilo City to shoulder remaining works of unfinished public market

ILOILO CITY — A bill has been filed in Congress seeking to reclassify shoreline areas from Molo to Arevalo district in Iloilo City as alienable and disposable lands that may be registered for private ownership.

House Bill 4298, authored by Iloilo City Rep. Julienne Baronda, aims to repeal Republic Act 4767, which in 1966 set aside the boulevard, adjoining public lands, and the territorial waters from Molo to Arevalo as a city park.

The law, which was signed on June 18, 1966, explicitly prohibited the city government of Iloilo from selling, alienating or leasing this property to any entity or private person.

But under Baronda’s new measure, the shoreline areas covered by the old law will be opened for disposition under existing land registration laws.

“With Iloilo City’s sustained socio-economic growth and rapid urban expansion, it is both practical and equitable to revisit this outdated designation,” Baronda said in her exploratory note.

“The areas in question no longer function as a public park, having been integrated into the city’s urban fabric and repurposed in ways consistent with development needs,” she added.

The lawmaker also said that the reclassification of the lands will regularize existing beneficial ownership, enable lawful titling and registration, and open opportunities for responsible investment.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will be tasked to conduct cadastral surveys and determine the specific boundaries of the lands that can be disposed of.

Qualified applicants, including actual occupants who have long possessed or developed the areas in good faith, will be given priority rights once the lands are opened for disposition.

Baronda said the bill seeks to align the status of the lands with prevailing land classification and ownership laws, allowing the government to formalize the property rights of current occupants and spur development in the affected districts.

“This measure will also generate additional revenues for the local government through real property taxes and related fees resources that can be reinvested into genuine public infrastructure and community services,” she added.