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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
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S. No. 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR, JR. 
EXPLANATORY N 
Article 1 1, Section 14 of the Constitution provides: 
"'The State recognizes the role of women in nation building and shall 
ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men." 
True to this Constitutional mandate, Congress enacted the landmark "Women 
in Development and Nation Building Act," l2A 7192 (15 February 1992) where it was 
first provided that in all Contractual situations where married men have the capacity 
to act, married women shall have equal rights. To this end, one of the rights 
recognized under the law is that women now have the capacity to borrow and obtain 
loans and execute security and credit arrangements under the same conditions as 
men. (Sec. 5 [I] , RA 7192) 
In the implementation, however, of the law, married women remain frustrated 
and are virtually denied full enjoyment of their right as most of land titles are 
registered in the name of their husbands, thus, diminishing their contract capacity, 
especially when it inwJves real property ---as collateral. 
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Under the present land registration law, the Property Registration Decree, PD 
1529, (1 1 June 1978), Section 45 thereof provides that if the property covered belongs 
to the conjugal partnership, the certificate of title shall be issued in the name of the 
spouses. 
Unfortunately, Section 45 applies only prospectively and does not affect titles 
registered under the provisions of the Land Registration Act 496, as amended, the 
governing law prior to the effectivity of the Decree. 
Hence this bill. This bill gives retroactive effect to said Section 45 of the 
Property Registration Decree insofar as it does not prejudice or impair vested or 
acquired rights in accordance, with the Civil Code or other laws. Thus, it will cover 
absolute community and conjugal partnership real property registered before 1.1 June 
1978, the date of effectivity of the Property Registration Decree. 
To the end that the bill enhances the role of women 
optimizes equality of women before the law, approval of this bill is earnestly urged. 
in nation building an 


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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
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t.! 
S. No. 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR, JR. 
AN ACT TO ENHANCE THE ROLE OF 
N IN NATION BUILDING AND 
OPTIMIZE EQUALIY OF WOMEN BEFORE THE LAW BY GIVING 
RETROACTIVE EFFECT TO SECTION 45 OFTHE PROPERTY REGISTRATION 
DECREE (P. D. 1529) 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 45 of Presidential Decree No. 1529, otherwise known as the 
Property Registration Decree is hereby amended to read as follows: 
“SEC. 45. Statement of personal circumstances in the certificates.-- Every certificate of 
title shall set forth the full names of the persons whose interest make up the full 
ownership in the whole land, including their civil status and the names of their 
respective spouses, if married, as well as their citizenship, residence and postal 
address. If the property covered belongs to the ABSOLUTE COMMUNITY OR TO THE 
conjugal partnership, it shall be issued in the naive of both spouses. 
THIS SECTION SHALL HAVE RETROACTIVE EFFECT INSOFAR AS IT DOES 
NOT PREJUDICE OR IMPAIR VESTED OR ACQUIRED RIGHTS IN ACCORDANCE 
WITH THE CIVIL CODE OR OTHER LAWS.” 
SECTION 2. Within six (6) months after the approval of this Act, the Land 
Registration Administration in coordination with the National Commission on the Role 
of the Filipino Women-shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the 
proper imgementation of this Act. 
SECTION 3 .This Act shall tale effect immediately upon its approval. 
Approved ,