Capitol land, 6 hospitals remain ‘unrecorded’ for lack of land titles

By Florence F. Hibionada

The Iloilo Provincial Government is sitting on a multi-million Capitol building with a supposedly Reconstituted Certificate of Title. Yet as far as official Capitol records submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA) are concerned, all 1,128.36 square meters of it are “unrecorded.”

Same is true with the 29,268.92 square meters of the Iloilo Sports Complex site in Barangay Magsaysay Village and the covered gym site. And similar situation too for six hospitals under the Iloilo Provincial Government.

“Unrecorded land,” the COA now revealed while officially calling the attention of Governor Niel Tupas Sr. on the matter.

The discovery formed part of the “significant findings” of government auditors tasked to come up with the latest Annual Audit Report (AAR) for the Capitol.

The Commission in last year’s reminder also called the attention of the Tupas administration yet “only one parcel of land located in Pototan, Iloilo valued at P6,109,516.47 was booked up. In compliance with our AOM No. 2008-016 dated September 10, 2008, the Provincial Accountant booked up eight parcels of land amounting to P12,007,630.00.”

The “unrecorded” properties supposedly owned by the province further include the Don Ricardo Y. Ladrido Memorial District Hospital in Barangay Poblacion, Lambunao, Iloilo. Covering 14,000 square meters of land area, COA notes how said Capitol property currently holds a “Conditional Deed of Donation.”

Officially “unrecorded” too in Capitol’s book of accounts the Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital in Barangay Pungtod, Cabatuan, Iloilo, the Alimodian District Hospital in Barangay Bancal, Alimodian, Iloilo and Sara District Hospital in Barangay Anoring, Sara, Iloilo.

Officially “unrecorded” as well were the Don Valerio Palmares Memorial District Hospital in Barangay Asisig, Passi City and the Representative Pedro Trono Memorial District Hospital in Barangay Poblacion, Guimbal, Iloilo.

The Capitol as per explanation to the COA admitted as much to its failure to duly record the stated provincial government properties. Capitol also pointed out the lack of titles as one of the reasons.

“Some of the subject lands are still included in the mother titles thus not having subtitles of their own. Some lands are only documented in the form of deed of donations in favor of the Provincial Government while others come from the national government but are not supported by transfer certificate of titles in favor of the Iloilo Provincial Government,” official Capitol reply to the COA went. “The Provincial Government shall identify personnel to be in-charge of requesting and following up the transfer of certificates of title of the said parcels of land from the national government as well as those with the deeds of donation. The General Service Office has collated all the titles of the land owned by the province of Iloilo. The land assessment value of the Assessor’s Office was the basis of the cost of the land recorded in the Property Card. The reconciliation of land owned and donated or repatriated to the Province of Iloilo is ongoing.”

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If these are unrecorded, the assets, depreciation expense and accumulated depreciation accounts of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol then are understated.