By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

Director Gilbert U. Demei is confident that the Bureau of Lands and Surveys (BLS) will complete the national government’s monumentation program.
Just recently, President Remengesau signed RPPL 6-26 that gives the BLS one-year and six months not to extend beyond Feb. 11, 2008 to complete all monumentation and transmittal of claims to Land Court.
This would mean that the current cadastral program/land registration program must cease on August 11, 2008.
Demei said that while the program ends, the BLS may extend the employment contracts of all Land Registration Officers up to Sept. 20, 2008 at which time they will become employees of State Land authorities and governments effective Oct. 1, 2008, which is the first day of the fiscal year.
Meanwhile, BLS is completing all make-up surveys, which referred to situations wherein claimants when to monument their claims, did not know the location of their claims, due to bad weather and monumentation was cancelled, or BLS surveyors did not get to the site due to transportation.
In the case of claimants who does not know the location, Demei said that there are many claimants who went to the field and did not know where their claims are located.
Demei said that if BLS gives these claimants another chance to monument their claims, they first verify from older people so that they will know where their claims are located and monument them fore the second time.
"Claimants must keep in mind that BLS, LROs and surveyors can only do their job after claimants have monumented their claims," Demei said.
He said that this will only be effective if the OEK will amend the law 6-31 to transfer all LROs to the state governments.
There are a total of 18 LROs, who came from Land Court to BLS.
Demei explained that they can go to the state government and state land registration authorities where they can become land registrars by amending RPPL 6-31.
The BLS Director believes that the current land cadsatral program/land registration program must be completed by April 11, 2008.
"Therefore, any work that may remain incomplete will be done by employees of the BLS," Demei said.