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.
CIAC Jurisdiction: When a Contract Is Not a Construction Contract
Supreme Court clarifies CIAC jurisdiction requires an actual construction contract, not merely plans or surveys for future projects.
Property Disputes and Surveys: Why Courts Order Relocation Surveys in Writ of Possession Cases
The Supreme Court explains when courts may order a survey to ensure a writ of possession is enforced on the correct property.
Baguio Land Titles Validation Denied for Expanded Areas Despite Prior Resurvey Approval
Supreme Court rules resurvey approval doesn't validate expanded Baguio land titles under PD 1271, requiring strict compliance.
Relocation Surveys in Land Disputes: Why Precise Boundaries Matter
When land titles conflict, courts order relocation surveys to settle boundary disputes. Learn the rules and practical lessons.
Transparency in Election Surveys: Balancing Free Speech and Fair Elections
The Supreme Court upheld COMELEC's power to require disclosure of election survey funders, including subscribers, under the Fair Election Act.
Proving Land Is Alienable and Disposable: Beyond Survey Plan Notations
Survey plan notations alone cannot prove land is alienable and disposable. Learn the required evidence for land registration in the Philippines.
Proving Alienable and Disposable Land Status in Philippine Registration Cases
Philippine land registration requires proof of alienable and disposable status through DENR certification, not just survey plans.
Contractual Obligations Survey Requirement Prevails Over Rescission Rights IN Land Sale Agreements
Supreme Court rules survey obligation in land sale contracts prevails over rescission rights, clarifying breach requirements under Philippine law.
In Land Sales, Survey Duty Prevails Over Payment Deadlines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a seller must survey land before demanding payment, and when rescission is improper.
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.
Resolving Land Disputes: Boundary Relocation and Title Amendments in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts handle boundary disputes, relocation surveys, and when title corrections require court approval under PD 1529.
Boundary Disputes: Proving Land Ownership in Philippine Courts
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how courts resolve boundary disputes, emphasizing the importance of approved survey plans and proper identification of property.
Proving Land Ownership in the Philippines: Tax Declarations and Cadastral Surveys in Quieting Title Cases
Learn how tax declarations, cadastral surveys, and possession determine ownership in Philippine land disputes, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Usufruct Rights and Survey Authority: Determining Land Boundaries in NHA v. Court of Appeals
A look at how the Supreme Court resolved conflicting surveys over a seven-hectare usufruct, and the rules on boundary determination.
Substantial Compliance in Land Registration Blueprint Suffices When Original Plan Is Available
Supreme Court clarifies that blueprint copies of survey plans may substantially comply with land registration requirements when the original is later submitted.
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.
Forcible Entry Survey Requirements in Summary Procedure Cases: What the Supreme Court Says
Learn how Philippine courts resolve unlawful detainer cases, why Torrens titles prevail, and what summary procedure means for possession disputes.
Encroachment and Land Ownership: How Philippine Courts Settle Property Boundary Disputes
Philippine law on encroachment and boundary disputes explained through Bernaldez v. Francia, including survey evidence rules and property rights.
Due Process in Land Disputes: Why Fair Resurveys Matter for Property Owners
The Supreme Court reminds courts that relocation surveys in land disputes must respect due process—both parties need notice and representation.
Safeguarding Free Speech: The Unconstitutionality of Election Survey Publication Bans in the Philippines
Why the Supreme Court struck down the ban on publishing election surveys before elections as an unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech.
UP vs Rosario: The Crucial Role of Land Survey Approval in Property Title Validity
When a land title may be void for lack of approved survey plan, and why courts must fully hear such claims before dismissal.
Exit Polls and Free Speech: The ABS-CBN v. Comelec Ruling
The Supreme Court struck down Comelec's total ban on exit polls, affirming that free speech and press freedoms protect election-day surveys.
Negligence Liability of Cargo Surveyors: Duty of Care in Handling Liquid Bulk Cargo
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on surveyor negligence in liquid cargo discharge, explaining the standard of care and liability for unsupervised pumping operations.
Timber License Boundary Disputes: Why Accurate Surveys Are Non-Negotiable
A Supreme Court ruling on timber license boundary disputes shows why precise surveys and strict compliance with agreements are critical for logging companies.