FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
,,' --
.f} 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to amend Section 110 of Presidential Decree No. 1529 known as the 
Property Registration Decree to relieve real property owners the burdensome and onerous task of 
resorting to judicial action for the reconstitution of their Torrens certificates of title that get lost 
or destroyed while in the custody of the Register of Deeds. 
To date, it is not unusual to see petitions for reconstitution of lost or destroyed certificates 
of title clogging the dockets of our courts all filed by the registered owners themselves though 
admittedly, they are not responsible for the loss or destruction of their original certificates of title 
as these are in the possession and custody of the Register of Deeds of the place where subject 
property is located at the time of loss or destruction. Compounding their woes of having to go 
through tedious court proceedings is the fact that such petitions entail expensive cost in the fonn 
of court charges and lawyer's fees. While original certificates are reposed in the Office of the 
Register of Deeds supposedly for safekeeping and protection, it is also in such places where the 
certificates of titles, ironically, get lost or suffer destruction. Hence, it is grossly unfair and 
prejudicial on the part of the registered property owners to undergo the tedious court process 
filing the petition. 
This bill seeks to rectify this mistake by amending Section 110 of Presidential Decree 
No, 1529 and direct instead the Register of Deeds to be the proper party to initiate the filing of 
petitions for reconstitution oflost or destroyed owner's certificate of title. 
1 


This is a Senate counterpart bill to the one filed in the House of Representatives by 
Representative Rodriguez D. Dadivas.) 
I This bill was originally filed during the 14th Congress 1st Regular Session 
2 


I, 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
t:: 
S.No. 
2270 
(1-
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor. Santiago 
1 
AN ACT 
2 
AMENDING SECTION 110 OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1529 OTHERWISE KNOWN 
3 
AS THE PROPERTY REGISTRATION DECREE 
Be it «nacted by the Senate und the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Section 1 10 of Presidential Decree No. 1529, otherwise known as the 
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Property Registration Decree is hereby amended to read as follows: 
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"SECTION 11 O. Reconstitution of lost or destroyed original of 
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Torrens title. - Original copies of certificates of title lost or destroyed in the 
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offices of the Register of 
Deeds as well as liens and encumbrances affecting 
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the lands covered by such titles shall be reconstituted judicially insofar as nbt 
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inconsistent with this Decree. x x x 
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"THE PETITION FOR JUDICIAL RECONSTITUTION OF LOST OR 
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DESTROYED ORIGINAL CERTIFICATES OF TITLE SHALL RE FILED BY 
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THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OF THE PLACE WHERE THE LAND IS 
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SITUATED UPON THE REQUEST OF THE REGISTERED OWNER(S), 
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COPIES 
THEREOF 
SHALL 
BE 
FURNISHED 
TO 
THE 
LAND 
16 
REGISTRATION 
AUTHORITY 
(LRA) 
AND 
THE 
REGISTERED 
17 
OWNER(S). "THE SAID PETITION SHALL BE VERIFIED AND SHALL BE 
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PUBLISHED IN A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION ONCE A 
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WEEK FOR THREE (3) CONSECUTIVE WEEKS FROM THE DATE OF 
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FILING. XXX 
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"NO PETITION FOR JUDICIAL RECONSTITUTION SHALL BE 
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APPROVED UNLESS THE REGISTERED OWNER(S) SHALL HAVE IN 
1 


1 
POSSESSION THE OWNERS DUPLICATE CERTIFICATE OF TITLE OF 
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THE LOST TORRENS TITLE. 
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Notice of all hearings of the petition for judicial reconstitution shall be 
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given to 
the ADMINISTRATOR OF THE LAND 
REGISTRATION 
5 
AUTHORITY (LRA) AND THE REGISTERED OWNER(S). No order of 
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judgment ordering the reconstitution of a certificate of title shall become final 
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until the lapse of thirty days from receipt by the ADMINISTRATOR OF THE 
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LAND REGISTRATION AUTHORITY (LRA) of a notice of such order or 
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judgment without any appeal having been filed by the said official." 
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SECTION 2. The amount necessary to cany out the provisions of this Act shall be 
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included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law and 
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thereafter. 
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SECTION 3. Separability Clause. - If any provision, or part hereof is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and SUbsisting. 
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SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
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with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 5. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
2