The UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR), through the Office of the Coordinator for Research, Extension and Linkages (OCREL), the Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR), and the CFNR Research and Extension Committee hosted the seminar, “Legal Aspects: Metes and Bounds versus the Public Land Survey System in the United States” on May 13, 2024, at the Nicolas P. Lansigan Auditorium.
This event is part of the UPLB-CFNR Seminar Series, a regular OCREL activity designed to provide a venue for sharing expertise and experiences in forestry and natural resources.
Through the seminar, CFNR strengthened its academic and research partnership with Glenville State University (GSU).
Dean Marlo D. Mendoza formally started the program with a welcome address. He highlighted the seminar topic’s importance in the context of managing and protecting natural resources.
Dean Mendoza mentioned the challenges related to the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve (MMFR) and the need to find solutions for communities within these areas. He said that he hoped the seminar would provide valuable insights to help navigate these issues.
Jacob Petry, a senior lecturer, and assistant professor at GSU, first discussed the history of land surveying, metes and bounds, legal aspects, and differences in land surveying in the United States. Petry also discussed the common pitfalls of the said metes and bounds including the common steps in land surveying.
Following the seminar, Dr. Rogelio Andrada II, the event facilitator, led an open forum. One of the questions was from Dean Mendoza, who asked if there are also any land disputes in the US and how they are resolved. Petry said that in the US, land disputes are usually easy to solve with landowners hiring surveyors to verify property boundaries. If there’s a discrepancy and the claim is valid, the owner may seek legal counsel to pursue a lawsuit. Typically, these issues are handled on a case-by-case basis.
Afterward, Dean Mendoza and Dr. Tomas Reyes Jr. presented Petry with a certificate of appreciation. The seminar concluded with Reyes giving the closing remarks, where he also thanked Dr. Rico Gazal, a CFNR alumnus and a professor of forestry at GSU, for providing training and equipment to the CFNR students. Reyes also said that he hopes for more forestry-related seminars, specifically concerning the public land survey system in the Philippines.
The seminar drew 30 attendees, including CFNR staff members, faculty members, and students. (Louise Andrea B. Quidayan)