FRAUD IN DECLARING ALIENABLE AND DISPOSABLE LANDS

FRAUD IN DECLARING ALIENABLE AND DISPOSABLE LANDS

Here we go again—another glaring example of how our public lands system can become a playground for fraud and exploitation. The case in Calaca, Batangas stands out not just for its brazenness, but for what it reveals about systemic weakness.

According to The Manila Times, a sting operation uncovered the acting head of the local Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Calaca facilitating the conversion of forestlands into “alienable and disposable” (A&D) lands—areas that the State releases for private ownership. What makes this especially chilling is that the official “did it all by himself,” without anyone apparently checking, approving, or even noticing. Is that really how the system works?

The Legal and Factual Skeleton

Under our Constitution and environmental laws:

• All lands of the public domain belong to the State unless classified otherwise (the Regalian Doctrine).
  
  

• Only lands classified as agricultural may be made A&D.
  
  

• The process requires surveys, maps, and approval by the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Forest and timber lands are inalienable unless properly reclassified.
  
  

In Calaca’s case, forestland was allegedly reclassified as A&D without due process. The Manila Times aptly called it an “environmental time bomb,” because forests act as natural buffers against floods, landslides, and strong winds. Once they’re gone or converted, the risks multiply.

Why This Matters

I once visited a friend in Laguna who lived in a subdivision built within what used to be a forest. I asked myself: “How did this happen?” The implication is clear—Calaca is not an isolated case. Illegal A&D conversion could be quietly happening in other towns, disguised as legitimate development.

If one CENRO official can pull this off alone, imagine the scale if this pattern is repeated nationwide. This is not just about illegal logging anymore—it’s about illegal conversion of forest lands. This could be the new frontier of environmental degradation.

According to the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), around 76% of our lands were classified as forestlands as of 1991, with only 24% declared A&D. If vast areas are being converted without proper checks, we risk losing the very forests that shield us from climate disasters.

When a single certification can override national policy, something is seriously wrong. This suggests not just neglect, but possible collusion between CENRO officials and local government units (LGUs).

Some Questions Worth Asking

• Why was the illegal reclassification in Calaca not detected earlier?
  
  

• How many other municipalities have quietly converted forestlands into A&D without oversight?
  
  

• Are there overlaps—or worse, collusion—between DENR and LGU officials?
  
  

• Given the typhoons and floods we suffer yearly, how many disasters stem from diminished forest cover?
  
  

• Can we correlate A&D conversions with areas prone to flooding and landslides?
  
  

What Can Be Done

1. Full Audit: The DENR and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) should jointly audit all A&D declarations from the past decade, focusing on upland or forest-adjacent areas.

2. Transparency: Land classification maps and CENRO certifications should be made publicly accessible. Hidden records are fertile ground for fraud.

3. Stronger Oversight: Inter-agency coordination must be institutionalized. The Land Management Bureau, LGUs, and anti-corruption agencies should cross-check all reclassifications.

4. Link Land Conversion to Disaster Risk: Any approval of A&D conversion must include an environmental and hazard assessment. If forests are cut down for housing or logging, communities downstream will pay the price.

5. Legal Accountability: Exposés like Calaca must lead to prosecution and conviction—not just administrative slap-on-the-wrist penalties. Malaya recently reported the conviction of a Calaca land inspector for graft and estafa, but not necessarily the official who approved the fraudulent conversion. That gap must be closed.

We must stop treating forest protection, land management, and disaster risk as separate issues—they are deeply interconnected. One fraudulent declaration can create a subdivision where a forest should stand, leading to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and catastrophic flooding.

We should, as the saying goes, nip this in the bud. Because if we let fraudulent A&D conversions grow unchecked, we may soon face an environmental crisis as costly—and as ghostly—as those infamous flood-control projects that never worked.

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

www.facebook.com/ike.seneres iseneres@yahoo.com senseneres.blogspot.com 09088877282/06-10-2026