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WESTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF LAW
Zamboanga City

LAND TITLES & DEEDS

Atty. Satrina V. Mohammad

COURSE OUTLINE

1. Constitutional Provisions

I.1. Sec. 2, Art XII, 1987 Constitution

The Regalian Doctrine
Lee Hong Kok vs. David, 48 SCRA 372, 377 (1972)
Republic vs. Court of Appeals, Apr. 15, 1988

Native Title
Carino vs. Insular Government, 41 Phil 935 (1909)
Oh Cho v. Director of Lands, Aug. 31, 1946

I.2. Sec. 3, Art XII, 1987 Constitution

Lands of the Public Domain
Classification of Public Lands
Rules on Disposition

Republic vs. Court of Appeals, Sept. 30, 1999

Director of Forestry vs. Villareal, Feb. 27, 1989
Republic vs. Court of Appeals, Apr. 15, 1988
Republic vs. CA & Dela Rosa, Apr. 15, 1980
Director of Lands vs. CA & Sps. Bisnar, Oct. 26, 1989
San Miguel Corp. vs. Court of Appeals, May 28, 1990
Republic vs. Intermediate Appelate Court, Nov. 29, 1988
Director of Lands vs. Iglesia ni Cristo, Aug. 16, 1991
Almeda vs. Court of Appeals, April 30, 1991
Francisco Chavez vs Public Estates Authority & Amari
Coastal Bay Dev’t. Corp., July 9, 2002
Ayog vs. Cusi, Nov. 19, 1982

I.3. Sec. 5, Art XII, 1987 Constitution

RA 8371, the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act
Cruz vs. Secretary of DENR, December 6, 2000

I.4. Sec. 7, Art XII, 1987 Constitution

Private Lands
Rules on acquisition
Citizenship Requirement
Krivenko vs. Register of Deeds, Nov. 15, 1947
Ong Ching Po vs. Court of Appeals, December. 20, 1994
Halili vs. Court of Appeals, March 12, 1998
Philippine Banking Corporation vs. Lui She, 21 SCRA 52
(1967)
JG Summit vs. CA, Jan. 31, 2005
Chavez vs. Public Estates Authority, July 9, 2002
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Republic vs. IAC & Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lucena,

Nov. 29, 1988
Roman catholic Apostolic Administrator of Davao vs. LRC,
Dec. 20, 1957

I.5. Sec. 8, Art XII, 1987 Constitution

Sec 5 of RA 8179

2. Land Registration

2.1. Past & Present Legislation

2.2. Torrens System of Registration

Background, Purpose, Advantages
Requisites in Bringing Land under the Torrens System
Legarda vs. Saleeby, Oct. 2, 1915
Grey Alba vs. Dela Cruz, Sept. 16, 1910
Traders Royal Bank vs. Court of Appeals, Sept. 24, 1999

2.3. Nature; Jurisdiction

Grey Alba vs. Dela Cruz, Sept. 16, 1910
Moscoso vs. Court of Appeals, April 24, 1984
Barangay Piapi vs. Talip , Sept. 7, 2005
Aznar Brothers Realty Co. vs. Aying, May 16, 2005

2.4. Land Registration Commission & Registry of Deeds

Gomez vs. Court of Appeals, Dec. 15, 1988
Laburada vs. Land Registration Authority, March 11, 1998
Abrigo vs. De Vera, June 21, 2004
Republic vs. Court of Appeals & Bayona, Aug. 22, 2002
Almirol vs. Register of Deeds of Agusan, March 20, 1968
Balbin vs. Register of Deeds of Ilocos Sur, May 8, 1969

2.5.Original Registration

2.5.1. Ordinary Registration proceedings

2.5.1.2. Judicial Confirmation of Imperfect or Incomplete

Titles
Public Land Act (C.A. No. 141), Secs. 47 & 48
R.A. 1942
R.A. 3872
P.D. No. 1073
R.A. 9176

Director of Lands vs. Danao, February 21, 1980

Republic vs. Alconaba, April 14, 2004
Director of Lands vs. Buyco, Nov. 27, 1992
Republic vs. Court of Appeals & Naguit, Jan. 17, 2005
Palomo vs. Court of Appeals, Jan. 21, 1997
Republic vs. Court of Appeals & Bernabe, March 16, 1987
Susi vs. Razon, Dec. 9, 1925
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Oh Cho v. Director of Lands, Aug. 31, 1946

Mesina vs. Sonza, May 25, 1960
Republic vs. Intermediate Appelate Court & Acme Plywood,
Dec. 29, 1986
Natividad vs. Court of Appeals & Republic, Oct. 4, 1991
Republic vs. Court of Appeals & Baloy, Nov. 26, 1986
Sta. Monica Industrial & Devt. Corp. Vs. Court of Appeals,
Sep. 21, 1990
Zara vs. Director of Lands, July 10, 1967
Director of Lands vs. CA & Pastor, July 31, 1981
*Director of lands vs INC, 8/16/1991 (acquisitive
prescription)
*Heirs of Leopoldo Vencilao vs CA, 4/1/1998 (registered
land not susceptible to acquisitive prescription)
*Almeda vs CA, 4/30/1991 (acquisitive prescription,
reckoning for the 30yr period requirement)

2.5.1.2. Registration Under the Property Registration

Decree
Applications, Sec. 14, P.D. 1529
Republic vs. Court of Appeals & Naguit,
Jan. 17, 2005

Sec. 14(1), land of the public domain, 3 Requisites

Sec. 14(2), private land, prescription
Arts. 1106, 1113, 1117, 1134, 1137, 1127,
1129, 1138, Civil Code
Seminary of San carlos vs. Municipality of
Cebu, March 13, 1911
Lacamen vs. Laruan, July 31, 1975

Sec. 14(3), accession or accretion

Art. 461, 457, Civil Code
Sec. 14(4), land grant by statute or executive act
Republic vs. Doldol, Sep. 10, 1998
International Hardwood & Veneer Co. vs. UP,
Aug 13, 1991
Republic vs. Court of Appeals, Sep. 30, 1976

Publication, Opposition & Default, Secs. 23 to 26,

P.D. 1529
Director of Lands vs. CA & Abistado, July 28,
1997
Roxas vs. Enriquez, Dec. 24, 1914
Adez Realty, Inc. Vs. CA, Aug 14, 1992
Phil. Manufacturing Co. vs. Imperial, March 31,
1926
Hearing, Judgment & Decree of Registration, Secs.
27 to 31, P.D. 1529
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Remedies, Secs. 32 to 34, P.D. 1529

2.5.1.3. Registration under the Indigenous Peoples Rights

Act, RA 8371

Cruz vs. Secretary of DENR, December 6, 2000

Ancestral Domains, Certificate of Ancestral

Domain Title

Ancestral Lands, Registration under C.A. 141 or

P.D. 1529

2.5.2. Cadastral registration Proceedings

Nature & Purpose

Secs. 35 to 38, P.D. 1529

2.6. Certificate of Title

Secs. 39 to 50, P.D. 1529S

2.7. Subsequent Registration

2.7.1. Voluntary Dealings

Conveyances & Transfers, Secs. 57 to 59, P.D. 1529
Mortgages
Leases
Powers of Attorney
Trusts

2.7.2. Involuntary Dealings

Attachments
Expropriation

2.8. Registration of Judgments; Orders; Partition

2.9. Assurance Fund
2.10. Registration of Patents
2.11. Certification of Land Transfer; Emancipation Patent; Affidavit of
Non-Tenancy
2.12. Petitions & Actions after Original Registration
2.13. Forms
2.14. Dealings with Unregistered Lands
2.15. Registration of Chattel Mortgages
2.16. Consultas

3. R.A. 4726, The Condominium Act

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4. P.D. 957, The Subdivision & Condominium Buyers’ Protective Decree

My digested cases:

1.Director of lands vs INC, 8/16/1991 (acquisitive prescription)

2. Republic vs CA, 9/30/1999 (land suitable for fishpond dev’t.)

3. Republic vs Heirs of Agustin Angeles, 10/7/2002 (reconveyance by the

State)

4. Sucaldito vs Montejo, 2/6/1991 (repurchase of land acquired under free

patent or homestead w/in 5 years from conveyance)

5. Heirs of Leopoldo Vencilao vs CA, 4/1/1998 (registered land not

susceptible to acquisitive prescription)

6. Maximo Jagualing vs CA, 3/4/1991, (island in a non-navigable & non-

floatable river)

7. Spouses Palomo vs CA, 1/21/1997 (Tiwi Hot Spring national Park, Forest
Land)

8. Oh Cho vs Director of Lands, 75 Phil 890, (Native Title, Regalian

Doctrine, How alienable land of the public domain become private land;
aliens disqualified from acquiring land)

9. Almeda vs CA, 4/30/1991 (acquisitive prescription, reckoning for the 30yr

period requirement)

10. Chavez vs PEA-AMARI, 7/9/2002 (reclaimed foreshore & offshore lands,

inalienable natural resources, private corporations cannot acquire alienable
lands of the public domain, Secs. 2 & 3, Art. XII, 1987 Constitution)

11. JG Summit Holdings, Inc. vs CA, 1/31/2005

(Consequence if foreign corporation acquires more than 40% of the shares
of corporation)

12. Phil. Banking Corp. Vs Lui She

(lease to alien must be for reasonable period, valid option to buy conditioned
on acquisition of Phil. Citizenship)

13. Republic vs. CA, 4/15/1988

(ownership of & the right to use land for agricultural, industrial, commercial
or residential purpose other than mining does not include the ownership of
nor the right to extract or utilize the minerals which may be found on or
under the surface)

14. Director of Forestry vs Villareal, 2/27/1989

(mangrove swamps)
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15. Halili vs CA, 3/12/1998

(Sec. 7, Art. XII, 1987 Constitution; hereditary succession, a mode for an
alien to acquire private land)

16. Krivenko vs ROD, 11/15/1947

(aliens disqualified to acquire private or public lands, except by hereditary
succession)

17. Cruz vs Secretary of DENR, 12/6/2000

(RA 8371, Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997)

18. Republic vs IAC, 11/29/1988

(corporation sole vs private corporation)

19. Roman Catholic Apostolic Administration of Davao, Inc. vs LRC, 1957

(corporation sole)

20. Lee Hong Kok vs David (12/27/1972)

(imperium vs dominium; only the gov’t. can bring an action to cancel a void
title issued pursuant to a void patent)

21. Cariño vs. Insular Gov’t.,

(native title exception to the regalia doctrine)

22. Grey Alba vs Dela Cruz, 9/16/1910

(Torrens Land Registration System; nature of proceeding action in rem;
Notice; Fraud)