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.
Land Registration in the Philippines: Understanding Alienable and Disposable Land
Learn how RA 11573 changed proof requirements for registering alienable and disposable land in the Philippines, explained through a recent Supreme Court ruling.
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.
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.
Co-Ownership Disputes: How Inheritance and Sales Affect Land Rights in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when administrative orders on land disputes become final and how co-ownership, inheritance, and sales affect property rights.
Demolition and Due Process: Balancing Property Rights and Public Projects in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when demolitions may proceed without a court order under RA 7279, using the BCDA JUSMAG case.
Accretion vs. Dried Riverbeds: Who Owns the Land in the Philippines?
The Supreme Court clarifies that land formed by a dried-up riverbed belongs to the State, not adjacent owners. Learn the rules on accretion and land registration.
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.
Boundary Disputes in the Philippines: When Creeks Change Course, Ownership Stays Put
Philippine courts uphold original property boundaries even when creeks are diverted. Learn how Pang-oden v. Leonen protects land titles.
When a Waiver Revives Rights: Property Disputes and Quitclaims in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that a default order in land registration cases does not bar the government from appealing, and explains the limits of waiver in property disputes.
Acquisitive Prescription and Laches in Property Disputes: Aguirre v. Heirs of Villanueva
Learn how the Supreme Court applied ordinary acquisitive prescription and laches in a property dispute between heirs and buyers.
Reconstitution of Lost Titles: Supreme Court Clarifies Evidence Rules in Faustino Co Shu Kiam v. Republic
The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on judicial reconstitution of lost certificates of title, emphasizing that strict evidentiary standards must yield to practical realities.
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.
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.
Accretion vs. Avulsion: How River Course Changes Affect Land Ownership in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine law treats land gained or lost through river shifts—accretion, avulsion, and erosion explained with the Bagaipo case.
Torrens Title vs. Fraud: Protecting Land Ownership in the Philippines
Learn how the Torrens system protects land ownership in the Philippines and why proving fraud requires clear and convincing evidence, based on a landmark Supreme Court case.
Spanish Land Titles in the Philippines: P.D. 892 and Why They No Longer Prove Ownership
Spanish-era land titles lost their force under P.D. 892. Learn the registration deadline, the San Pedro ruling, and what evidence now counts.