Developing our lands and staying true to our Constitution

LAND is a finite asset but a most valuable one. Hence, across the world, economic progress and national security are intertwined with land ownership. Wars have always been centered on control of territory, whether by land or sea because these hold food and vital resources for human existence.

Article 12 of the Constitution provides that all land of the public domain and other natural resources are owned by the State. The only exceptions are alienable and disposable agricultural land and those lands considered part of the ancestral domain of indigenous communities. Further, only Filipinos can own the alienable and disposable agricultural land of the public domain. This legal doctrine is popularly known as the "regalian doctrine," though I would rather call it the "stewardship doctrine." The State, represented by its public officials, is the steward of these assets for the people. We consider public office as a public trust. Thus, the stewardship doctrine is the more appropriate word to use. To call this regalian doctrine is misplaced since we are a republic and not a monarchy. What we have are stewards of the national patrimony.

THE CITY BUILDER