Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte signed Executive Order (E.O.) 24-A Series of 2021, known as “An Order Creating The Technical Working Group Of the Joint Task Force To Guide, Regulate, And Monitor Business Developments, Land Use, And Boundary Conflicts In Marilog District” on September 2, 2021. It was effective immediately.
The mayor earlier created the Joint Task Force to guide, regulate, and monitor businesses and other developments, land use, and boundary conflicts in Marilog District and all other areas within the city that are under Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), as well as other areas classified as forest or critical watershed zones.
“To effectively carry out its mandate, there is a need to create a TWG for the said Joint Task Force to inspect and evaluate the scale of unregulated developments and all other concerns adversely affecting the natural character of Marilog District,” Mayor Duterte said.
Mayor Duterte said the TWG for the Joint Task Force for Marilog District will be composed of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Land Registration Authority (LRA), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and City Planning and Development Office (CPDO).
The TWG shall inspect and hold regular monitoring of all activities conducted in Marilog District related to unregulated businesses and other developments, land use, and boundary conflicts, among others.
It will also inspect the compliance of business establishments in the tax mapping documents, specifically its corresponding building and business permits; provide recommendations to the Joint Task Force for Marilog District to explore and adopt win-win solutions, and further preserve and protect the area and the IP community.
The TWG is also mandated to submit a quarterly progress report to the Joint Task Force for information and appropriate action; perform other necessary or required functions.
E.O. 24-A also mandates the DENR Forest Management Bureau to serve as the TWG’s Secretariat and shall be tasked to handle all administrative and secretarial functions.
The order also directs all offices under the City Government of Davao, National Government Agencies, and concerned organizations to provide their full and active support and utmost cooperation to the TWG and the Joint Task Force for Marilog District.
The TWG shall operate on available funds of the City Government, subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
E.O. 24-A cited Section 22, Article II of the Philippine Constitution, which states: “It is the State’s policy to recognize and promote the rights of indigenous cultural communities within the framework of national unity and development.”
Section 2 (e) of Republic Act No. 8371, also known as “The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997” also provides that the State shall take measures, with the participation of the ICCs/IPs concerned, to protect their rights and guarantee respect for their cultural integrity, and to ensure that members of the ICCs/IPs benefit from an equal footing on rights and opportunities, which national laws and regulations grant to other members of the population.
Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the “Local Government Code of 1991″, also authorizes the local government units to establish an organization that shall be responsible for the efficient and effective implementation of their development plans, programs, objectives, and priorities.
Section 455 (b) (xvi) of the same Code also authorizes the City Mayor to call upon any national office or employee stationed in or assigned to the city to advise him on matters affecting the city and to make recommendations thereon, and coordinate with said official or employee in the formulation and implementation of plans, programs, and projects in the city.
The Joint DAR-DENR-LRA-NCIP Administrative Order No. 01-12 defines the guidelines to address overlapping jurisdiction issues, operational issues, and conflicting claims by and among concerned agencies, relative to the coverage of lands and/or processing of land titles embracing lands or areas which are contentious or potentially contentious. CIO
