Highland Political Dap-ay.

06/02/2026

20/01/2026

20/01/2026

A principle that guides meaningful reform: lasting change is measured by the safeguards it leaves behind.

As Congress resumes next week, we resurface key measures advanced by Rep. Mauricio Domogan to strengthen transparency, accountability, and public trust. These include legislation to curb political dynasties, restore pre-audit requirements for public funds, and promote bicameral transparency in the national budget process.

These efforts are part of a continuing commitment to build institutions that endure beyond personalities and political cycles.

20/01/2026

08/01/2026

Congratulations to all the new lawyers who passed the 2025 Bar Examinations! Your perseverance, discipline, and countless hours of sacrifice have finally borne fruit. You have earned not only the title, but the responsibility to uphold justice and serve with integrity.

To those who did not make it this time, know that one exam does not define your worth or your future. The journey to becoming a lawyer is never easy, and many of the best in the profession faced setbacks before success. Take heart, learn from the experience, and rise again, your time will come.

To all Bar takers, passers and non-passers alike, may you continue to pursue your calling with courage, humility, and faith.

19/12/2025

Around the world, cities that understand the value of heritage have chosen to protect their public markets—not replace them with malls disguised as “modernization.”  These markets were improve…

19/12/2025

📜 𝐇𝐁 𝟔𝟒𝟑𝟖 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝

Rep. 𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨 𝐆. 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐧 filed 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐍𝐨. 𝟔𝟒𝟑𝟖, a measure addressing long-standing land classification issues affecting specific areas in 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐀𝐭𝐨𝐤 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥, 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰, 𝐊𝐢𝐚𝐬, and 𝐋𝐨𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐧-𝐀𝐩𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐧, and grounded on 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟏𝟒 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐍𝐨. 𝟏𝟑𝟕, which allows lands originally reserved for mining—but later determined to be more suitable for non-mining purposes—to be withdrawn from mining reservation and returned to the public domain, subject to law.

The bill seeks to 𝐬𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐋𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝟐, 𝟑, 𝟓, and 𝟔) located in these barangays, covering 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐨𝐧𝐞 (𝟕𝟏) 𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬, more or less, from existing mining reservations and place them under classification as 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝, subject to law.

While portions of these areas were covered by 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐨. 𝟒𝟏𝟒, 𝐬. 𝟏𝟗𝟓𝟕, its implementation was not completed due to the absence of the required 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐇𝐁 𝟔𝟒𝟑𝟖 addresses this long-standing legal gap by providing the necessary legislative authority.

Under the bill, the 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 (𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐑) is mandated to:

• conduct validation surveys of the segregated areas
• ensure that forest and watershed reserves within the area absolutely remain as reservations and are immediately fenced, in coordination with the 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐨
• dispose of and award the segregated land only to 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 and/or 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, strictly pursuant to 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐍𝐨. 𝟕𝟑𝟎 and/or 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐍𝐨. 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟑
• coordinate with the 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐨 to integrate the areas into local land-use and housing plans

This measure responds to decades-long land status uncertainty affecting 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, while 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 forest and watershed areas and supporting 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲, 𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐟𝐮𝐥 urban development.

19/12/2025

15/12/2025