Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
Land Title Registration in the Philippines: Navigating Imperfect Titles After R.A. 11573
The Supreme Court clarifies how R.A. 11573 eases proof requirements for land registration, remanding a Pasig City case for new evidence.
When Can the State Reclaim Private Land? The Rule on Reversion Proceedings
The Supreme Court clarifies the heavy burden the State must overcome to revert titled private land to public domain.
Standing to Sue, Heirs' Rights, and Property Disputes in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on land registration, heirs' rights, and the standing of the Republic to oppose property claims.
Land Title Registration: Possession Before Land Classification Counts
Supreme Court clarifies that possession before a land's classification as alienable and disposable can count toward original registration.
Adverse Possession and Land Registration: Clarifying Requirements for Imperfect Titles
Supreme Court clarifies that possession before a land's classification as alienable and disposable counts toward confirming imperfect title under Section 14(1).
Private Rights vs State Reservations: When Long Possession of Public Land Cannot Ripen Into Ownership
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that unclassified public land cannot be privately owned without positive government act declaring it alienable and disposable.
Perfecting Land Titles: Possession Requirements for Public Land Registration in the Philippines
Understand the possession rules for registering public land under PD 1529, including the June 12, 1945 requirement clarified by the Supreme Court.
Upholding Public Land Rights Denying Land Registration Within Military Reservations
Supreme Court affirms that lands inside military reservations and forest lands are inalienable public domain, not registrable.
Proving Land Ownership: Why Possession Since 1945 Needs More Than Claims
Learn what Philippine courts require to prove land ownership through possession since 1945, from the Arbias v. Republic case.
Land Title Registration in the Philippines: Overcoming the Presumption of Public Land
A Supreme Court ruling on land registration in the Philippines explains why proving alienable public land requires more than a surveyor's notation.
Proving Land Ownership in the Philippines: The June 12, 1945 Rule in Land Registration
Philippine land registration requires proof of possession since June 12, 1945. Learn the rules and the key case of Republic v. Carrasco.
Foreshore Rights in the Philippines: When Private Land Meets Public Domain
Philippine foreshore areas are public domain, but private rights can exist. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court ruling.
Establishing Ownership: The Decisive Role of Documentary Evidence Over Testimonial Claims in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why documentary evidence outweighs testimonial claims in land registration cases.
Losing a Land Title: Why Possession at Application Time Matters in Property Registration
Learn why the Supreme Court denied a land registration application because the applicant no longer possessed the property at the time of filing.
Land Registration and Imperfect Titles: Proving Possession Since June 12, 1945
The Supreme Court clarifies the strict possession standard for judicial confirmation of imperfect titles under the Public Land Act.
When Survey Plans Lack Approval Reversion OF Land Titles TO THE State
A land title issued without a survey plan approved by the Director of Lands is void, and the State may seek its reversion.
How Presidential Proclamations Affect Imperfect Land Titles in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when presidential proclamations can defeat claims to public land by long-time occupants.
Public Land vs Private Ownership in the Philippines: Land Classification and Acquisition
Understand how Philippine law distinguishes public land from private property, and the rules on classification and acquisition.