Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
          HOUSE BILL NO. 10692
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO  
Partylist Representative Alfred Delos Santos 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution states that it is the policy of the State to protect 
and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall 
take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.” 
Corollary to this mandate is the responsibility of the State to ensure that 
the learning environment in schools and classrooms is conducive for learning. 
However, classrooms remain congested with as many as fifty students.1 2 
These overcrowded classrooms not only make it difficult for students to 
concentrate on their lessons, but also limit the amount of time teachers can 
spend on improving their teaching methods.3  
For the 2023-2024 school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) 
said the country was short of 159,000 classrooms. This deficit is far more 
severe than the previous year’s shortage of 91,000 classrooms. Furthermore, 
many school sites are likewise vulnerable to usurpation and adverse claims of 
ownership because these sites are not properly titled. The shortage of 
classrooms has been a persistent issue. The passage of this bill will pave the 
way for the summary titling of all lands which are being utilized as public 
school sites throughout the country. This bill aims to provide all lands being 
1 ABS-CBN News. (August 22, 2022). ‘Cramped’ Classrooms Seen on 1st Day of In-Person Classes. 
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/22/22/cramped-classrooms-seen-on-1st-day-of-in-person-classes  
2 CNN Philippines. (August 22, 2022). Overcrowded classrooms seen on first day of classes – ACT 
Teachers Party-List. https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2022/8/22/overcrowded-classrooms-seen-
f2f-classes.html  
3 N. Jones. (April 5, 2017). School Congestion in the Philippines: A Breakthrough Solution. The Asia 
Foundation. 
https://asiafoundation.org/2017/04/05/school-congestion-philippines-breakthrough-
solution/  
July 30, 2024
3:34 pm


utilized by the Department of Education (DepED) with titles under the 
"Republic of the Philippines represented by the Department of Education" to 
enable it to have legal ownership over these school sites. 
This bill will give priority to the acquisition and titling of school sites to 
ensure the smooth operation, maintenance and development of school sites.  
It is for the foregoing premises that the approval of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
ALFRED C. DELOS SANTOS 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila  
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
          HOUSE BILL NO. 10692 
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO  
Partylist Representative Alfred Delos Santos 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE SUMMARY TITLING OF REAL PROPERTIES 
USED AS PUBLIC SCHOOL SITES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to ensure an 
environment conducive to the education of the youth. Towards this end, the 
State shall register all lands being utilized as public school sites by the 
Department of Education (Department) with titles under the "Republic of the 
Philippines represented by the Department of Education" to enable it to have 
legal ownership over these school sites.  
SECTION 2. Qualified School Sites. - This Act shall cover all sites which have 
been utilized by the Department as a public school site for at least five (5) 
years preceding the effectivity of this Act, which are: 
a.
Of the public domain;
b.
Are owned, whether registered or otherwise, by persons or entities other
than the Department.
SECTION 3. Prima Facie Ownership by the Department of Unregistered Land. 
- The Department shall be the prima facie owner of all unregistered qualified
school sites.
SECTION 4. Summary Titling of Qualified School Sites on Unregistered Lots. 
- All actions for the original registration of qualified school sites under this Act
shall be filed with the Regional Trial Court where the property is situated, and
shall be summary in nature. The Department need only establish that the


 
school site is untitled and that it has been used as such for at least five (5) 
years. Provided that the notice requirements provided for in Section 23, 
Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 1529, shall be observed. 
 
SECTION 5. Transfer of Qualified School Sites Owned by the National 
Government. - All Qualified School Sites established on registered property 
owned by the National Government and the agencies and instrumentalities 
thereof shall be immediately transferred to and titled in favor of the 
Department. 
 
SECTION 6. Modes of Acquiring Qualified  School Sites on Privately- Owned 
Lots and Lots Owned by Local Government Units.  - The Department of 
Education may acquire Qualified School Sites on Privately-Owned Lots and 
Lots Owned by 
Local Government Units through donation, negotiated sale, 
expropriation or any other modes of acquisition as provided by law. 
 
SECTION 7. Unaccepted Donations. - All unaccepted donations of property 
presently used as school sites shall be deemed perfected by implied 
acceptance from the time when the property was actually utilized as a public 
school site. 
 
SECTION 8. Guidelines for Negotiated Sale. - Should the implementing 
agency and the owner of the property agree on a negotiated sale for the 
acquisition of right-of-way, site or location for any national government 
infrastructure project, the standards prescribed in pertinent provisions of 
Republic Act (R.A.) No. 8974 and other related laws, rules and regulations 
shall be used to determine the fair market value of the property, subject to 
review and approval by the head of the agency or department concerned. 
 
SECTION 9. Summary Expropriation of Qualified School Sites. – Qualified 
School Sites on Privately-Owned Lots and Lots Owned by Local Government 
Units may be acquired by the Department through expropriation subject to 
the guidelines provided under Section 4 of R.A. No. 8974. Provided, that the 
right of the Department to expropriate qualified school sites, and that the 
taking is for public use and for public purpose shall be presumed prima facie. 
Unless said presumption is overturned by a showing that the school site is not 
qualified under Section 2 hereof, the expropriation proceedings shall be 
limited to the determination of just compensation. 
 
SECTION 10. Order of Registration Immediately Executory. - All judgments 
ordering the registration of a qualified school site shall be final and executory, 
and not subject to appeal except in a Petition for Certiorari under Rule 65 to 
the Supreme Court. The Register of Deeds, upon receipt of such order, shall 
forthwith issue the corresponding certificate of title in favor of the 


 
Department. 
 
SECTION 11. School Sites under Contract of Usufruct. - In order to protect 
the rights and interests of the Department in its use and enjoyment of a school 
site under a Contract of Usufruct, the same shall be annotated in the 
Certificate of Title of such real property. All reasonable efforts should be 
exerted  for the subsequent donation of these properties in favor of the 
Department. Provided, that when a school site under usufruct becomes a 
qualified school site, the same may be acquired by expropriation as provided 
herein. 
 
SECTION 12. Titling and  Registration  of  School  Sites. based  on Tax 
Declarations registered to the Department. - Real properties with Tax 
Declarations registered in the name of the Department which are being used 
as school sites shall be processed through the Department of Environment 
and  Natural Resources (DENR) for titling through the issuance of Special 
Patents and Presidential Proclamations. 
 
SECTION 13. Expeditious Registration of Land Titles for School Sites. -The 
Registry of Deeds, Bureau of Internal Revenue and Local Government Units 
concerned shall forthwith process the registration and titling of the properties 
as provided herein in favor of the Department in the most efficient and 
expeditious manner. 
 
SECTION  14. 
Exemption from  Payment  of 
Fees  and  Taxes  for the 
Registration of Land Titles for School Sites. -  The Department shall be exempt 
from payment of all related costs, fees and taxes to the National Government 
Agencies including the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Land Registration 
Authority (LRA), Registry of Deeds (RD), DENR-Land Management Bureau, 
Local Government Units, and other government agencies involved in the 
registration and titling of school sites as provided herein. Provided further, 
that the Department shall enjoy all the rights, exemptions and privileges, as 
may be authorized by law, in all its official transactions with National 
Government Agencies and Local Government Units involving titling and 
registration of its current school sites. 
 
SECTION 15. Ecological and Environmental Concerns. - In cases involving 
the acquisition of private real property used as a public school site, the 
Department shall take into account and consider environmental laws, land use 
ordinances and the pertinent provisions of R.A. No. 7160, as amended, 
otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991. 
 
SECTION 16. Appropriations. - Funds necessary for the implementation of 
this Act shall be included in the annual appropriations for the Department 


 
under the General Appropriations Act. 
 
SECTION 17. Rules and Regulations. - The Department, the Department of 
Justice (DOJ), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), 
Department 
of 
Finance 
(DoF)  and the Department of 
Interior
 
and Local Government 
(DILG) shall 
jointly 
promulgate
 
the  implementing 
rules and regulations within sixty (60) days 
from the effectivity of this Act.  
 
SECTION 18. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is held 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts or provisions hereof which are not 
affected thereby, shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 19. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, rules and regulations or 
other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act 
are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 20. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of 
general circulation.. 
 
Approved,