MANILA, Philippines— Tons of important documents and some P100 million worth of equipment have been reduced to ashes after fire hit the main office of the Land Management Bureau (LMB) past midnight on Monday, May 28.

Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda told reporters that some modern computers, drones, land titles, and other important documents have been destroyed.

Antiporda also revealed that the LMB would have to digitize tons of documents all over again.

“We don’t have them on the cloud yet. We were going to that direction already, but sad to say the fire got to them first,” Antiporda said. 

Antiporda said that the bureau was able to digitize “70% to 80%” of the documents already, but would have to “harmonize with various regional offices again” because of the incident.

The LMB is the agency under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, It is responsible for surveying and managing alienable and disposable lands. It is also the agency responsible for classifying the types of land, and identifies which areas should be protected and which can be developed.

Despite the inconvenience, Antiporda assured the public that the documents are intact in the regional offices.

“The office in Binondo serves as the back-up of the regional offices,” Antiporda said.

The DENR announced that the public could proceed to the agency’s help desk later this week at the central office in Quezon City for land concerns and inquiries.

The agency also formed a committee to further assess the damage.

The DENR reported that all LMB employees have been accounted for as safe and free from fire-related injuries. – Rappler.com