Twenty-one public schools under the Department of Education (DepEd) – Schools Division Office (SDO) of Pampanga have officially received their land titles following years of processing, made possible through the joint efforts of the Provincial Government of Pampanga and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-PENRO).
The ceremonial turnover was led by Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda and DENR-PENRO Officer-in-Charge Roger Incarnacion, with school principals and officials in attendance on Wednesday, March 18.
Data from the Provincial Assessor’s Office showed that DepEd–SDO Pampanga manages 535 school sites across the province. Of these, 59 remain undocumented, 237 are titled or tax-declared under local government units (LGUs), 60 are titled under DepEd, 123 are privately owned, and 56 are under various national government agencies (NGAs).
Governor Pineda said the initiative was originally started by former Board Member Mylyn Pineda, adding that the provincial government will continue to address gaps in land ownership.
She emphasized that stronger coordination with LGUs, along with the passage of supportive local ordinances, will help speed up the transfer of titles to DepEd.
The governor noted that many school properties have long been registered under different entities, and efforts are now underway to transfer ownership to DepEd, NGAs, or LGUs, while issues involving privately owned lands will be addressed separately.
DepEd, for its part, expressed gratitude to the provincial government, stressing that secured land titles are essential in accessing national funding for the construction of additional school buildings.
The initiative is expected to help ease the classroom shortage in Pampanga and improve learning conditions for students.
The Provincial Government reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the education sector through sustained programs that support infrastructure development and ensure proper land ownership for public schools.
