To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Regional Directors
Schools Division / City Superintendents
Heads, Public Elementary and Secondary Schools

1. To firmly establish ownership of school sites occupied by public elementary and secondary schools nationwide; to contribute to the further development and improvement of the public school system on a more stable basis; to protect the rights and interests of the Department of Education (DepEd) from legal and administrative issues affecting school sites, and to ensure that the funds allocated for the titling and acquisition of DepEd properties will be utilized pursuant to the provisions of the General Appropriations Act (GAA), the National Task Force on School Sites Titling (NTFSST) is hereby created.
2. The Chairman and Members of the NFS ST are as follows:
   Chairman : Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs
   Members : Assistant Secretary/Chief of Staff
   Assistant Secretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs Chief of the Budget Division
   Chief of the Accounting Division
   Chief of the Records Division
   Head of Physical Facilities and Schools Engineering Division (PFSED)
   Two (2) DepEd Legal Consultants DepEd Technical Consultant
3. The Task Force will be assisted by a Secretariat composed of DepEd Central Office personnel, as follows:
   One (1) Executive Assistant
   One (1) Administrative Assistant II
   One (1) Project Development Officer II Three (3) Data Encoders
   Two (2) Legal Researchers
4. To effectively implement the mandate of the NTFSST, the Task Force will have three (3) major operations: database, technical and legal. It shall have the following specific duties and functions:
   1. Database
      1. Maintain a school sites database to provide needed information to national government agencies, Congress and local government agencies;
      2. Classify, update and tabulate data on nationwide inventory of school sites;
      3. Manage records of ownership/occupancy and relevant documents on school sites titling;
      4. Coordinate with the NTFSST technical and legal personnel;
      5. Submit a monthly accomplishment report to the Chairman of the national Task Force; and
      6. Perform related functions as may assigned from time to time by the Chairman.
   2. Technical
      1. Identify and recommends ways and programs which shall facilitate the titling of untitled school sites in the name of the Republic of the Philippines, Department of Education, which include the following:
         a.1. Titling of untitled school sites with the deeds of donation through the subsequent issuance of Presidential Proclamations and/or Special Patents;
         a.2. Titling of registered school sites which are the subject of segregation survey with the Land Registration Authority (LRA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), including school sites under the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) resettlement areas and landed estates; and
         a.3. Establishment of inter-agency linkages to facilitate and ensure compliance with the functions of the NTFSST.
      2. Secure periodic accomplishments of the abovecited agencies and offices, and receive data being requested by the NTFSST for budget deliberation and legislation;
      3. Secure the assistance of the PFSED School Sites Mapping Unit in the issuance of site suitability clearances as required by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Health (DOH);
      4. Coordinate with the NTFSST database and legal personnel;
      5. Submit monthly status report to the Chairman of the national task force; and
      6. Perform related functions which may be assigned from time to time by the Chairman.
   3. Legal
      1. Review and recommend actions on school sites with adverse claims;
      2. Coordinate with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) in representing DepEd in cases filed with the Courts on school sites problems, issues and concerns;
      3. Coordinate with the local government units (LGUs) on problems related to school sites including eviction of illegal settlers;
      4. Prepare legal documentation regarding school sites such as deeds of donation/conveyance/transfer, deeds of sale, deeds of exchange, usufruct agreements, memoranda of agreement and other contracts with government agencies involved in school sites titling and transfer of ownership;
      5. Coordinate with the NTFSST database and technical personnel;
      6. Provide legal assistance regarding the transfer of ownership of school sites in the name of DepEd;
      7. Submit monthly status report to the Chairman of the National Task Force; and
      8. Perform related functions which may be assigned from time to time by the Chairman.
5. Enclosure No. 1 contains the composition and functions of the Secretariat while Enclosure No. 2, the organization chart of the Task Force.
6. The Regional Offices shall assign their Regional Administrative Officers, Legal Officers and Schools Division Administrative Officers to directly coordinate with the NTFSST regarding school sites data, problems, issues and concerns.
7. The NTFSST will ensure that the lump sum appropriation under Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) in the amount of Ten Million Pesos (PhP10,000,000.00) and Capital Outlay (CO) in the amount of Sixty Five Million Seven Hundred Ninety Six Thousand Pesos (PhP65,796,000.00) or a total of Seventy Five Million Seven Hundred Ninety Six Thousand Pesos (PhP75,796,000.00) for the improvements, surveying, titling, and acquisition of school sites, and such other amounts as may be appropriated or allocated, will be utilized in accordance with the provisions of the GAA.
8. Expenses incurred by the NTFSST shall be charged to the MOOE and CO, subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
9. All other previous and existing orders/memoranda inconsistent with this Order are hereby amended.
10. Immediate dissemination of and compliance with this Order is directed.

Encls.: As stated
Reference: DepEd Order: No. 16, s. 2010

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
COMMITTEES
OFFICIALS
SCHOOLS
SITES

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