Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES oA)
Quezon City, Metro, Manila RECEIVED a
DATE 07 ut 20s
TWENTIETH CONGRESS Hie oo
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 1529

INTRODUCED BY: REP. FERJENEL G. BIRON, M.D.

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTER OF DEEDS IN THE
CITY OF PASSI, PROVINCE OF ILOILO AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to establish an Office of the Registry of Deeds in the City of
Passi, Province of lloilo.

The City of Passi was converted into a component city of the Province of lloilo
by virtue of Republic Act No. 8469, “An Act Converting the Municipality of Passi in the
Province of lloilo into a Component City to be known as the City of Passi’, passed into
law and approved by the late President of the Philippines, Fidel V. Ramos, on the 30"
of January 1998. It acquired corporate existence upon ratification of its creation
through a plebiscite conducted for the purpose.

Pursuant to Section 7 of Presidential Decree No. 1529, otherwise known as the
Property Registration Decree, there shall be at least one Register of Deeds for each
province and one for each city. At present, however, the Province of lloilo maintains
only one Registry of Deeds office, which is located in lloilo City. This centralization
imposes a significant burden on residents of the City of Passi and nearby
municipalities, who must travel approximately fifty-one (51) kilometers to access land
registration services or secure certified copies of land titles. The distance entails
considerable expense, time, and effort, rendering the process inconvenient and

inefficient for many constituents.

The City of Passi, centrally located in Panay Island, is experiencing rapid
urbanization and industrial growth. It spans a total land area of 25,139 hectares

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(62,120 acres), the largest among all localities in the province, comprising
approximately 5.39% of Iloilo’s total land area. With its strategic location and sustained
economic development, Passi has become a hub for trade and commerce, drawing
increasing numbers of investors and residents.

These circumstances—Passi's large territorial jurisdiction, high population
growth, rising land transactions, and expanding economic activity—have led to a
significant increase in the demand for land-related services, particularly land
registration. The current single Registry of Deeds office in Iloilo City is increasingly
overburdened by the volume of transactions coming from across the province,
including those from Passi and surrounding municipalities.

The establishment of a separate Registry of Deeds in the City of Passi will
address these challenges by improving accessibility to land registration services,
teducing congestion and workload at the Iloilo City office, and enhancing efficiency
and economic activity

This bill, authored by this Representation, was previously filed and referred to
the Committee on Justice during the 19th Congress.

In view of the foregoing, the creation of a Registry of Deeds in the City of Passi,
lloilo is both a practical and necessary measure that will bring essential public services
closer to the people and support the city's continuing growth and development. Hence,
the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

JENEL G. BIRON, M.D.
4" District, lloil

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro, Manila

TWENTIETH C CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1529

INTRODUCED BY: REP. FERJENEL G. BIRON, M.D.

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTER OF DEEDS IN THE
CITY OF PASSI, PROVINCE OF ILOILO AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in

Congress assembled:

Section 1. There is hereby established the Office of the Register of Deeds in
the City of Passi, Province of Iloilo, which shall perform all the duties and functions of
the Register of Deeds exclusively for the 4" District of lloilo including the City of Passi
and all municipalities of the said district namely Anilao, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle,
Duenas, Dumangas, and San Enrique.

Sec. 2. The Register of Deeds of the City of Passi shall be appointed by the
Secretary of Justice upon the recommendation of the Administrator of the Land
Registration Authority. The Registrar shall be assisted by a staffing complement to be
appointed by the Secretary of Justice upon the recommendation of the Administrator
of the Land Registration Authority in accordance with existing laws.

Sec. 3. The Register of Deeds of the City of Passi shall be under the direct
supervision and control of the Secretary of Justice. The latter shall formulate rules and
regulations necessary for the implementation of this Act.

Sec. 4. The Register of Deeds for lloilo City shall as soon as practicable transfer
and turn over to the Office of the Register of Deeds in the City of Passi all documents
or records relating to properties and transactions pertaining to the latter's jurisdiction.


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Sec. 5. The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be
charged to the appropriation of the Department of Justice under the current General
Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its operation and
maintenance shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Sec. 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,