Introduction

Boundary monuments are considered as permanent survey marks of any

kind, and is made of concrete, iron or stone, and includes pillars and boundary

posts so made. Monuments are used to set the actual boundaries between one

settlement and another. They are important in surveying and are of different

sizes and types.

Surveying, which is also interchangeably called geomatics, has

traditionally been defined as the science, art, and technology of determining the

relative positions of points above, on, or beneath the Earth’s surface, or of

establishing such points. Surveying has been important since the beginning of

civilization. Its earliest applications were in measuring and marking boundaries of

property ownership. Throughout the years its importance has steadily increased

with the growing demand for a variety of maps and other spatially related types of

information, and with the expanding need for establishing accurate line and

grade to guide construction operations. (Ghilani and Wolf, 2015)

Modern-day land surveyors are confronted with a multitude of problems,

created over the past two centuries under different technology and legal systems

that now require professional solutions. These include defective compass and

chain surveys; incompatible descriptions and plats of common lines for adjacent

tracts; lost or obliterated corners and reference marks; discordant testimony by

local residents; questions of riparian rights; and a tremendous number of legal

decisions on cases involving property boundaries. (Ghilani and Wolf, 2015)

properties and lives. Overlapping claims are symptoms of the fundamental

problem of overlapping land laws and programs of government that result to

citizens competing over land. According to ANGOC (2018) study on land

conflicts,1 around 352 cases have been documented, covering 1,317,024

hectares, or about four (4) percent of the total territory of the Philippines. Such

conflicts lasted an average of 14 years with some cases lasting less than a year

to as long as 68 years.

Many of today’s property disputes would have been avoided, if all property

lines had been resurveyed, monuments checked and set before sales became

final. Unfortunately, these boundary markers are often removed or displaced.

The common land dispute which known as encroachment or taking part of the

land on adjacent land by fencing beyond the boundary or possible, moving the

boundary marker. According to DAO (2007), boundary markers or monuments

shall refer to any concrete object that is set permanently in the ground to mark

the position of a point or a boundary corner. These are also set up by the

government whenever there is a cadastre or comprehensive adjustment of land

boundaries throughout the Philippines. It is placed on the ground so people can

able to identify the extent of their land area and avoid clashes resulting from

confusion. Despite of the solutions provided to avoid land conflicts, there are still

people who don’t recognize the importance of boundary markers and still remove

these markers.
 Thus, this study recognizes the problems particularly to the lack of

awareness and weak perception of people towards boundary markers or

monuments. The area of study will be the Pampanga State Agricultural University

as the researchers choose the university students as our respondents for this

study. We choose them to assess their awareness and perception towards

boundary monuments.

Problem to Solve

The researchers recognize the problems particular to the cases of

alteration of boundary monuments due to personal reasons or unawareness

which later results to land conflicts and boundary disputes. Also, the lack of

awareness to the importance of boundary monuments and the possible

punishments for altering the boundary monuments and the weak perception of

people towards boundary monuments.

Aims

The researchers choose the issue relating to lack of awareness and

perception towards the boundary monuments as this issue still happens in the

present time. Also, the researchers notice the lack of awareness of people about

the importance of this markers and the laws which states the possible

punishment involving to the alteration or moving of boundary monuments.

The researcher may have learned from experience or through literature

review that there are possibilities that the people which includes the students of

Pampanga State Agricultural University lacks of awareness and have weak

perception towards the boundary monuments and that these students does not

recognize the importance and the laws which governs the boundary monuments.

For these reasons, students may alter or move this boundary markers

without knowing the consequences in the future. Now, based on the researcher’s

initial review of related literature, it was found out that no study has been

conducted on the topic.

Questions we plan to look into

 How aware does the students of PSAU about the importance of boundary

monuments?

 Are the students aware of the punishments and laws which regulates the

alteration or moving of boundary monuments?

 How do the students perceive the boundary monuments?

Difficulties in particular sphere

The researchers may experience difficulties in data collection in which the

researchers are instructed to only gather data through Internet or creation of

Google Forms for survey questionnaires and prohibited the gathering of data
outside to avoid the risk of infection. The researchers are limited to this mode of

data gathering due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Researcher Aim (Optional)

The researchers aim to determine the awareness and perception of

students in Pampanga State Agricultural University towards the Boundary

Monuments.

Why the need for this study? (Optional)

The researchers argues that there is a need to determine the awareness

and perception of this students so we can create awareness campaign as an

alternative in addressing the problem.

Possible Questionnaires

1. Are you familiar to the photo shown below?

o Yes

o No

2. Have you seen objects similar with the photo?

o Yes

o No

3. After seeing it for the first time, what could be your thoughts on this object?

o Chair

o A block of cement

o Tool for sharpening an object or for cracking objects

o Others, Please Specify____________

3. After seeing the photo, what do you think is the purpose of the object? (Any

answer will be accepted)

4. After knowing the purpose of the monuments, have you seen someone
altering or moving these markers?

o Yes

o No

5. Have you seen people using it for other purpose? (Example: using it as chair,
grinding to sharpen an object, etc.)

o Yes

o No

6. Are you aware of the laws or regulations pertaining to altering of monuments?

o Yes

o No