The Land Management Bureau (LMB) has moved its operations to Quezon City, a few weeks after a huge fire ripped through its main office building in Binondo, Manila.

The LMB—a staff bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources responsible for administering, surveying, managing and disposing alienable and disposable lands—set up a Help Desk, and the Office of the Director, Assistant Director, Legal and Land Management Division (LMD) are also fully operational at the third floor of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau’s new building along North Avenue in Quezon City.

LMB’s Administrative Support Staff and Center for Land Administration and Management – Philippines (CLAMP) have also transferred to their temporary offices at the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Training Center, while the Geodetic Surveys Division (GSD) is at the Salakot House of the BMB in the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife, also on North Avenue.

The Bureau of Fire Protection has yet to complete its thorough investigation into the May 28 fire that gutted the entire LMB building, adjacent buildings and other establishments including the National Archives Office.

Meanwhile, DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu reiterated that majority of land records in LMB have been digitized, so information is safe.

Cimatu said that while the physical land records had been damaged, these only serve as backup of documents in the regional offices. “All land records can be retrieved in the DENR regional offices,” he said.

He noted that the DENR had already started full implementation of the Land Administration Management System, an information system which computerized public land records nationwide and consolidated all land data and records in the country to facilitate the land titling process.

Thus, LMB had in its custody the back-up of the digital cadastral database and public land records, even assuming these are damaged, these can be easily retrieved from the Regional Offices.

Cimatu said copies of land records may be obtained not only in regional offices but also in the provincial and community environment and natural resources offices.

“All land-related inquiries and transactions shall be attended to by the LMB in the best way possible,” Cimatu said.

“Rest assured that LMB will work on the recovery and retrieval plan and ensure that its operations will be back on track as soon as possible,” he added.

The LMB Help Desk’s contact number is (02) 932-7693. ###