NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez 
House Bill No.  _____ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
On 26 April 1904, Act No. 1120 otherwise known as “The Friar Lands Act,” was 
enacted into law. Under this law, the Insular government purchased friar lands from religious 
orders/private corporations for disposition to actual occupants or settlers thereof. These friar 
lands cover approximately 164,127 hectares and are situated in the provinces of Laguna, 
Bulacan, Cavite, Bataan, Cebu, Rizal, Isabela and Mindoro.  
Friar lands have been registered under the Torrens system. Despite this, holders of 
certificates of title covering friar lands are required to provide proof of the validity of the initial 
sale of the friar lands by the Government to the original purchasers. This has led to various 
controversies involving the validity of the acquisition of the said friar lands and the integrity of 
the Torrens system. Worsening the situation is the fact that friar land records and Torrens 
titles in the custody of various government offices have suffered damage, even loss, through 
the passage of time, wars, floods, fires and other force majeure events to the prejudice of the 
present title holders   
To address these controversies, Congress passed into law, Republic Act (RA) No. 
9443 in 2007 to confirm and declare, subject to certain exceptions, the validity of existing 
certificates of title and reconstituted certificates of title covering the Banilad Friar Lands Estate 
situated in the First District of the City of Cebu. This law has notably put to rest questions 
regarding the validity of certificates of title covering the Banilad Friar Land Estate. As held in 
the case of Manotok v. Barque (2012)1, friar lands can be alienated only upon compliance with 
the requirements of Act No. 1120, and that the remedy of other landowners which may be 
similarly affected lies in the legislature, “as what RA 9443 sought to rectify”. 
Thus, building on the positive impact of RA 9443 in Cebu, and consistent with the 
purpose of the Torrens system “to quiet title to land; to put a stop forever to any question of 
the legality of the title, except claims which were noted at the time of registration, in the 
certificate, or which may arise subsequent thereto,” it is believed that the benefit under RA 
9443 should be made comprehensive and extended to all friar lands nationwide. 
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly requested. 
RUFUS B. RODRIGUEZ 
1 G.R. Nos. 162335 and 162605, 6 March 2012. 
March 7, 2024
11:30 am
10074


NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez 
House Bill No.  _____ 
AN ACT 
CONFIRMING 
AND 
DECLARING 
THE 
VALIDITY 
OF 
EXISTING 
TRANSFER 
CERTIFICATES OF TITLE AND RECONSTITUTED CERTIFICATES COVERING FRIAR 
LANDS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
Section 1. All existing Transfer Certificates of Title and Reconstituted Certificates of Title duly 
issued by the appropriate Register of Deeds covering any portion of any Friar Lands in the 
Philippines, are hereby confirmed and declared as valid titles and the registered owners 
recognized as absolute owners thereof. 
This confirmation and declaration of validity shall in all respects be entitled to like effect 
and credit as a decree of registration, binding the land and quieting the title thereto and shall 
be conclusive upon and against all persons, including the national government and all 
branches thereof; except when, in a given case involving a certificate of title or a reconstituted 
certificate of title, there is clear evidence that such certificate of title or reconstituted certificate 
of title was obtained through fraud, in which case the Solicitor General or his duly designated 
representative shall institute the necessary judicial proceeding to cancel the certificate of title 
or reconstituted certificate of title, as the case may be, obtained through such fraud. 
Section 2. All laws, decrees, proclamations or issuances contrary to or inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
Section 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official 
Gazette or in at least two national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
10074