Representative Lazatin urges DENR to protect waterways

Representative Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. has filed House Resolution No. 1489, calling on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to strictly protect legal easements along seas, rivers, lakes, esteros, and creeks. The resolution requests that the DENR refrain from issuing favorable certifications for free-patent applications if technical or legal verification shows the land encroaches on these protected waterways.

Under Republic Act No. 10023, qualified Filipino citizens occupying residential land may apply for free patent titles. Lazatin warned that issuing such titles over legal easements could disrupt waterways and exacerbate flooding risks. The proposal follows massive flooding in Pampanga in August, caused by typhoons and the southwest monsoon. Satellite data from the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) previously confirmed extensive flooding across several regions, including the National Capital Region and various parts of Luzon.