Councilor J. Melchor Quitain Jr., chair of the Committee on City-Owned Real Properties, revealed on Tuesday that the committee has completed an inventory of government-owned properties that may be utilized for public use and infrastructure development.
Quitain said the inventory was prepared in partnership with the Task Force on the Inventory of Real Properties (REPTAF) of the city government of Davao.
“With the inventory we have already accomplished, every councilor is allowed to have a copy from REPTAF. We also have a web map from the City Planning Office where you can see the actual locations of city-owned properties,” Quitain said during the Pulong Pulong sa Dabawenyos.
With the inventory in place, Quitain said the committee is now awaiting requests from local government offices seeking assistance in utilizing these properties for government infrastructure projects.
He noted that several city offices are in need of additional facilities and support infrastructure, including possible parking areas, which may be addressed by maximizing the use of city-owned lands.
“We are very short on infrastructure for some offices. Maybe we can utilize portions of these properties we own or identify areas that can be used as parking spaces. The committee will look into this so we can fully utilize our resources,” he said.
Quitain also said the committee is closely coordinating with the City Legal Office (CLO) to address documentation and ownership issues affecting several city-owned properties.
According to him, the CLO has already started filing cases to formally settle and confirm ownership of these properties in favor of the City Government of Davao.
He stressed that clarifying property ownership is crucial to safeguarding public assets, preventing future disputes, and fast-tracking infrastructure projects intended to serve Dabawenyos.
He added that the inventory initiative is seen as a key step toward ensuring transparency, proper asset management, and efficient delivery of public services in the city.
