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.
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Warehousing Contract Philippines: Rules for Storage and Logistics
A warehousing contract in the Philippines governs the storage and handling of goods. Learn the rules, obligations, and risks under Philippine law.
Logistics and Warehousing Business in the Philippines: Foreign Ownership Rules
Can foreigners own a logistics or warehousing business in the Philippines? Learn how the Public Service Act, Revised Corporation Code, and CMTA apply.
GSIS Housing Loan Death Claims: When Insurance Lapses but Equity Survives
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on GSIS housing loans, Sales Redemption Insurance coverage, and heirs' right to restructure after a borrower's death.
GSIS Housing Loans and Insurance: Protecting Heirs' Rights After a Borrower's Death
A Supreme Court ruling on GSIS housing loans clarifies when Sales Redemption Insurance applies and how heirs can save a deceased borrower's property from cancellation.
GSIS Board Jurisdiction Limited in Housing Loan Disputes: Key Supreme Court Ruling
Supreme Court clarifies GSIS Board of Trustees lacks exclusive jurisdiction over housing loan disputes involving contract enforcement and damages.
GSIS Jurisdiction Over Housing Loan Disputes: The Rafael Case
The Supreme Court clarifies when GSIS has exclusive jurisdiction over housing loan disputes and when courts may take cognizance of contractual claims.
Good Faith and the Duty to Return Illegally Granted Benefits in the NHA
Explore the Supreme Court's ruling on good faith and the obligation to return illegally granted benefits in the National Housing Authority.
Navigating Liability in Government Housing Loan Disbursements: Insights from a Landmark COA Ruling
Learn how the Supreme Court rules on COA disallowances, good faith defenses, and liability for government employees who received disallowed benefits.
Presidential Power Over Public Land: Social Housing vs. Public Use
Supreme Court affirms presidential authority to withdraw public land from socialized housing disposition for public use, balancing resident rights.
Strict Compliance Required for Expropriation of Private Lands for Socialized Housing
Local governments must strictly follow RA 7279 and the LGC before expropriating private land for socialized housing; failure voids the taking.
Caveat Venditor: Housing Developers Bear Responsibility for Hidden Defects
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on developer liability for hidden structural defects under Civil Code warranty and PD 957.
HLURB Contempt Powers: When to File Indirect Contempt in Housing Disputes
Learn when to file indirect contempt before the HLURB rather than the Supreme Court, based on Spouses Trinidad v. Fama Realty.
Garbage Fees and Socialized Housing Tax: When Local Levies Go Beyond Legal Limits
The Supreme Court ruled on Quezon City's power to impose garbage fees and socialized housing tax under the Local Government Code.
COA Auditors Barred From Agency Benefits: Nacion v. COA
Supreme Court affirms COA's discipline of auditor who received bonuses, housing, and car loans from audited agency MWSS.
Housing Loan Foreclosure: Employee Rights and Lender Obligations Under Philippine Law
When can a bank foreclose on an employee housing loan? The Supreme Court explains the limits of RA 6552 and lender rights.
Balancing Housing Rights and Public Interest in Philippine Eviction Law
Supreme Court clarifies when evictions without court orders are allowed under RA 7279, and why procedural rules matter in constitutional challenges.
Squatters Rights vs Government Housing Programs When Occupancy Doesnt Guarantee Ownership
Explore the 2014 Supreme Court ruling on corporate dissolution and property rights in Alabang Corporation v. Alabang Hills Village Association.
Stare Decisis in Real Estate Disputes: When a Prior Ruling Binds Later Bank Cases
The Supreme Court applies stare decisis to dismiss a bank's reconveyance case, ruling that a prior finding of a void warehousing agreement binds all similar cases.
Expropriation for Socialized Housing: Balancing Public Needs and Private Property Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies the strict requirements local governments must meet before expropriating private land for socialized housing under R.A. 7279.
Expropriation for Socialized Housing: Balancing Public Need and Private Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on City of Manila's failed expropriation for socialized housing, highlighting strict rules on eminent domain.
Census Is King: Priority Rights Yield to Actual Occupancy in Philippine Housing Projects
In ZIP housing projects, the official census and tagging determine who gets the lot—not priority certificates or prior possession claims.
Housing VS Agrarian Reform Prioritizing National Housing Projects Over Tenant Rights
HLURB Jurisdiction vs Regular Courts: Protecting Subdivision Buyers' Rights
When does HLURB have exclusive jurisdiction over subdivision disputes? The Supreme Court clarifies the boundary between regular courts and the housing regulator.
When a Bank’s “Warehousing” Trust Fails: Lessons from Tala Realty v. Banco Filipino
A look at Tala Realty v. Banco Filipino, where the Supreme Court struck down a bank’s secret trust scheme to evade real estate limits.