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 Ownership Complexities
The Supreme Court clarifies how RA 11573 affects land registration applications, shortening the possession period to 20 years before filing.
Can Religious Corporations Own Land in the Philippines? The RVM Case Explained
Learn how the Supreme Court's RVM ruling clarifies constitutional limits on religious corporations acquiring public land in the Philippines.
Land Registration Reopened: New Evidence and RA 11573 Can Overcome Res Judicata
The Supreme Court allows previously denied land registration applications to proceed under RA 11573, easing proof requirements and overcoming res judicata.
Proving Land Is Alienable and Disposable: Key to Philippine Land Registration
Learn the strict proof required to register land in the Philippines, from the Supreme Court's ruling in Republic v. PNP.
Land Registration: Proving Land Is Alienable and Disposable Under Philippine Law
Learn the strict proof required to register land in the Philippines, including DENR certifications, and why possession alone is not enough.
Finality of DAR Orders: Due Process in Agrarian Reform Cases
Learn how the Supreme Court upholds the finality of DAR orders, the rules on land reclassification, and due process in agrarian reform.
Land Registration Requires Impeccable Proof of Alienability
The Supreme Court nullified a land registration judgment where applicants failed to present documentary proof that the property was alienable and disposable public land.
Publication Requirement Prevails: Unpublished Handwritten Addendum Has No Legal Effect
Supreme Court rules unpublished handwritten addendum to a presidential proclamation has no force of law, reaffirming the indispensable publication requirement.
Reversion of Land Titles: Public Domain vs Private Claims in the Philippines
Supreme Court ruling on when certificates of title over public domain land, including timberlands, are void and subject to reversion.
Easement Reduction on Urban Land: Balancing Public Land Rules and Development
When a free-patent lot becomes urban private land, the river easement may shrink from 40 meters to 3 meters.
Upholding Land Titles When Government Reversion Claims Fail
When can the government cancel a free patent and revert land to the public domain? The Supreme Court explains the limits of reversion actions.
Fishpond Ownership in the Philippines: When BFAR Jurisdiction Overrides Court Decisions
Philippine courts cannot declare private ownership over public land designated for fishponds—only BFAR holds that authority. Learn the rules.
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.
DARAB Jurisdiction Explained: Filing Agrarian Disputes in the Philippines
Learn where to file agrarian disputes in the Philippines—DARAB vs. PARAD jurisdiction clarified under R.A. 6657 and the DARAB rules.