EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
©I 
B e im p
i G i f i i t  o f tijf £ ^ e e r e t a i p
20 
JAN 15 P4 ’47
SENATE
S. B. No. 
1 2 B 8
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR SONNY ANGARA
AN ACT
SIM PLIFYING THE CONFIRMATION OF IMPERFECT TITLES, AMENDING 
FOR THE PURPOSE PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1529, COMMONWEALTH 
ACT NO. 141 AND REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9176, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Land titling is important to protection of one's property rights. Government 
data on public land titling, however, show that only 5,174 titles were confirmed by 
the courts in the last 10 years, with judicial titling at a steady, with only around 140 
titles issued in 2017.
This steady decline in court-issued titles was due to recent strict and literal 
interpretation of land laws. Although the court recognizes the countrywide 
phenomenon of untitled lands and the problem of informal settlement, the court in 
Malabanan vs. Court o f Appeals1 puts the burden on Congress to improve land 
tenure in the country saying that:
"It could only be up to Congress to set forth a new phase of land 
reform to sensibly regularize and formalize the settlement of such 
lands, which in legal theory are lands of the public domain, before 
the problem becomes insoluble. This could be accomplished, to cite 
two examples, by liberalizing the standards for judicial confirmation 
of imperfect title, x x x."
Moreover, Republic Act No. 9176 that allows titling through judicial and 
administrative legalization of titles is about to expire on December 31, 2020. This
1 G.R. No. 179987, April 29, 2009 and in Republic vs. Gieiczyk, GR No. 179990, October 23, 2013.
1


may prove detrimental to many Filipinos—especially our farmers, whose very 
livelihoods are dependent on land tenure.
The proposed bill aims to improve the efficiency of land titling by, integrating 
and liberalizing court confirmation of imperfect titles under the provisions of 
Presidential 
Decree 
(PD) 
No. 
1529 
(Property 
Registration 
Decree) 
and 
Commonwealth Act (CA) No. 141 (Public Land Act), setting the standards and 
procedures in the processing of applications for agricultural free patents under 
Section 44 of CA No. 141, and removing the time period for application on both free 
patent and confirmation of imperfect title that is about to expire on December 31, 
2020.
Through this measure, we hope that many more in the countryside will be 
empowered to truly live off their land.
In view of the foregoing, the passing of this bill is earnestly sought.
SONNY ANGARA


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
Senate
^ 
■/^®fficr of tOt fecciTtar?
20 
JAN 15 P4-47
SENATE
No. 
1 2 6 8
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR SONNY ANGARA
AN ACT
SIM PLIFYING  THE CONFIRMATION OF IMPERFECT TITLES, AMENDING 
FOR THE PURPOSE PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1529, COMMONWEALTH 
ACT NO. 141 AND REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9176, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House o f Representatives o f the Phiiippines in 
Congress assembied:
1 
SECTION 1. Deciaration o f Poiicy. -  It is the declared policy of the State to
2 
simplify, update and harmonize similar and related provisions of land laws in order
3 
to clarify and remove ambiguity in its interpretation and implementation. It is also
4 
the policy of the State to provide land tenure security by continuing judicial and
5 
administrative titling processes.
6 
SEC. 2. Judidai Confirmation o f Imperfect Title. -  The qualifications provided
7 
in Section 14 of Presidential Decree No. 1529 and Section 48, Chapter VII of
8 
Commonwealth Act No. 141, as amended, shall be amended to read as follows:
9 
"Section 14. Who may apply. The following persons may file in
10 
the proper [ Court of First Instance] REGIONAL TRIAL
11 
COURT an application for registration of title to land, NOT
12 
EXCEEDING TWELVE (1 2 ) HECTARES, whether personally
13 
or through their duly authorized representatives:
14 
(1) 
Those 
who 
by 
themselves 
or 
through 
their
15 
predecessors-in-interest have been in open, continuous,
16 
exclusive and notorious possession and occupation of
17 
alienable and disposable lands of the public domain
18 
under a bona fide claim of ownership [ since June 127
1


2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
1
(2)
(3)
1945, OF caHtefr] FOR AT LEAST THIRTY (3 0 ) 
YEARS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE FILING 
OF THE APPLICATION FOR CONFIRMATION OF 
TITLE EXCEPT WHEN PREVENTED BY WAR OR 
FORCE MAJEURE. THEY SHALL BE CONCLUSIVELY 
PRESUMED 
TO 
HAVE 
PERFORMED 
ALL 
THE 
CONDITIONS ESSENTIAL TO A GOVERNMENT 
GRANT 
AND 
SHALL 
BE 
ENTITLED 
TO 
A 
CERTIFICATE OF TITLE UNDER THIS SECTION. 
THOSE WHO HAVE ACQUIRED OWNERSHIP OF 
PRIVATE LANDS OR ABANDONED RIVER BEDS BY 
RIGHT OF ACCESSION OR ACCRETION UNDER 
THE EXISTING LAWS.
THOSE WHO HAVE ACQUIRED OWNERSHIP OF 
LAND IN  ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED FOR BY 
LAW."
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
"SECTION 
48. 
The 
following-described 
citizens 
of 
the 
Philippines, occupying lands of the public domain or claiming to 
own any such lands or an interest therein, but whose titles 
have not been perfected or completed, may apply to the 
[ Court of First Instance of the-provinc-e] REGIONAL TRIAL 
COURT where the land is located for confirmation of their 
claims and the issuance of a certificate of title therefor, under 
the Land Registration Act, to wit:
(1 ) 
THOSE 
WHO 
BY THEMSELVES OR THROUGH 
THEIR PREDECESSORS-IN-INTEREST HAVE BEEN 
IN  
OPEN, 
CONTINUOUS, 
EXCLUSIVE 
AND 
NOTORIOUS POSSESSION AND OCCUPATION OF 
ALIENABLE AND DISPOSABLE LANDS OF THE 
PUBLIC DOMAIN UNDER A BONA FIDE CLAIM OF 
OWNERSHIP FOR AT LEAST THIRTY (3 0 ) YEARS
2


1 
IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE FILING OF THE
2 
APPLICATION FOR CONFIRMATION 
OF TITLE
3 
EXCEPT WHEN PREVENTED BY WAR 
OR FORCE
4 
MAJEURE. 
THEY 
SHALL 
BE 
CONCLUSIVELY
5 
PRESUMED 
TO 
HAVE 
PERFORMED 
ALL 
THE
6 
CONDITIONS ESSENTIAL TO A GOVERNMENT
7 
GRANT 
AND 
SHALL 
BE 
ENTITLED TO 
A
8 
CERTIFICATE OF TITLE UNDER THIS SECTION.
9 
(2 ) 
THOSE WHO HAVE ACQUIRED OWNERSHIP OF
10 
PRIVATE LANDS OR ABANDONED RIVER BEDS BY
11 
RIGHT OF ACCESSION OR 
ACCRETION UNDER
12 
THE EXISTING LAWS.
13 
(3 ) 
THOSE WHO HAVE ACQUIRED OWNERSHIP OF
14 
LAND IN  ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED FOR BY
15 
LAW."
16 
SEC. 3. Certification that the iand is Aiienabie and Disposabie. -  For purposes
17 
of issuing the Certification that the land is Alienable and Disposable, it shall be
18 
sufficient that the applicant submit a projection map prepared and 
signed by a
19 
licensed geodetic engineer and verified and approved by DENR official designated by
20 
the DENR Secretary showing that the land is within Alienable and Disposable lands
21 
of the public domain. The projection map shall contain a sworn statement by the
22 
geodetic engineer that the land is within the alienable and disposable lands of the
23 
public domain and shall state the applicable Forestry Administrative Order, DENR
24 
Administrative Order, Executive Order, Proclamations and the Land Classification
25 
Project Map covering the land.
26 
SEC. 4. Administrative iegaiization o f Free Patents. -  Sections 44, Chapter VI
27 
of Commonwealth Act (CA) No. 141, as amended, is further amended to read as
28 
follows:
29 
"SECTION 44. Any natural-born citizen of the Philippines who
30 
is not the owner of more than twelve (12) hectares and who,
31 
for at least thirty (30) years prior to the [ cffcctivity of this
32 
amendatory Act] FILING  OF THE APPLICATION, has
3


1 
continuously 
occupied 
and 
cultivated, 
either 
by
2 
himself/HERSELF 
or 
through 
his/HER 
predecessors-in-
3 
interest a tract or tracts of ALIENABLE AND DISPOSABLE
4 
agricultural public lands subject to disposition, AND who shall
5 
have paid the real estate tax thereon [ while the same has not
6 
been occupied by-any person] shall be entitled, under the
7 
provisions of this Chapter, to have a free patent issued to him
8 
for such tract or tracts of such land not to exceed twelve (12)
9 
hectares."
10 
SEC. 5. Section 45, as amended, of CA No. 141 shall be deleted
11 
and a new Section 45 shall be inserted as follows:
12 
"SECTION 
45. 
PERIOD 
FOR 
APPLICATION. 
ALL
13 
APPLICATIONS SHALL BE FILED AT ANY TIM E AFTER
14 
THE 
EFFECTIVITY 
OF 
THIS 
ACT 
BEFORE 
THE
15 
COMMUNITY 
ENVIRONMENT 
AND 
NATURAL
16 
RESOURCES OFFICE (CENRO) OR REGION OF THE
17 
DEPARTMENT 
OF 
ENVIRONMENT 
AND 
NATURAL
18 
RESOURCES (DENR). THE CENRO IS MANDATED TO
19 
PROCESS THE APPLICATION W ITH IN  ONE HUNDRED
20 
AND TWENTY (1 20) DAYS TO INCLUDE COMPLIANCE
21 
W ITH  THE REQUIRED NOTICES AND OTHER LEGAL
22 
REQUIREMENTS, 
AND 
FORWARD 
THEIR
23 
RECOMMENDATION 
TO 
THE 
PROVINCIAL
24 
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICE
25 
(PENRO) IF THE AREA OF THE LAND IS BELOW FIVE (5 )
26 
HECTARES; TO THE DENR REGIONAL DIRECTOR IF  THE
27 
AREA 
OF 
THE 
LAND 
IS 
FIVE 
(5 ) 
TO 
TEN 
(1 0 )
28 
HECTARES; AND TO THE SECRETARY OF DENR IF  THE
29 
AREA OF THE LAND IS MORE THAN 10 TO TWELVE (1 2 )
30 
HECTARES, WHO SHALL HAVE FIVE (5 ) 
DAYS TO
31 
APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE THE PATENT. IN  CASE OF
32 
APPROVAL, THE PATENT SHALL BE ISSUED; IN  CASE OF
4


1 
CONFLICTING 
CLAIMS 
AMONG 
DIFFERENT
2 
CLAIMANTS, THE PARTIES 
MAY SEEK 
THE PROPER
3 
JU D IC IAL REMEDIES. PROVIDED, THAT IN  PROVINCES
4 
W ITH  NO CENRO, THE APPLICATION SHALL BE 
FILED
5 
W ITH THE PENRO."
6 
SEC. 6. Section 47, Chapter V III of CA No. 141, as amended by Republic Act
7 
No. 9176, is hereby amended to read as follows:
8 
"Section 47. The persons specified in the next following
9 
section { arc hereby granted time, not to extend beyond
10 
December 31, 2020 within which to] MAY avail of the benefits
11 
of this Chapter AT ANYTIME. [ : Provided, That this period
12 
shall apply only where the area opplied for docs not exceed
13 
twelve (12) hcctorcs: Provided, further. That the scvefol
14 
periods of time designated by the- President in accordance -with
15 
Section Forty five of this Act shall apply also to the lands
16 
comprised in the provisions of this Chapter, but this ScctioR
17 
shall not be construed as prohibiting-any of said persons from
18 
acting under this Choptcr at any time prior to the period fixed
19 
by the President] "
20 
SEC. 7. Penalties. - In addition to the administrative sanctions, any person
21 
who violates Section 3 of this Act shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned for not less
22 
than six (6) months nor more than six (6) years, at the discretion of the court.
23 
SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations -  Within sixty (60) days from
24 
the effectivity of this Act, the DENR shall promulgate the Implementing Rules and
25 
Regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.
26 
SEC. 9. Separability Clause. -  If, for any reason or reasons, any part or parts
27 
of this Act shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid by any competent court,
28 
other parts of this Act which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full
29 
force and effect.
30 
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. -  All laws, decrees, executive orders, executive
31 
issuances or letters of instruction, rules and regulations or any part thereof


1 
inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are hereby deemed
2 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly..
3 
SEC. 11. Effectivity Clause. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
4 
following its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
5 
circulation.
Approved,