Long wait over for occupants of untitled residential lands - DENR

MANILA, Philippines - Occupants of untitled residential public lands can now file their applications for free patents following the approval of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 10023, otherwise known as the Free Patent Residential Land.

“The long wait is over for the millions of Filipinos whose battle to have their occupied land be titled in their names took years of tedious and expensive process just to have their dreams realized. Now, getting a land title is not far-fetched,” Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Horacio Ramos said.

The IRR of RA 10023, which Ramos approved last May 5, sets the procedure in the speedy processing and issuance of free patents on residential lands.

RA 10023 is considered a landmark measure as it streamlined the requirements and procedures of land titling involving zoned residential lands. It was signed into law by President Arroyo on March 9, 2010.

Meanwhile, Land Management Bureau Director Allan Barcena said the IRR will fast track the titling process that will provide security of tenure to an estimated 39 million Filipinos in the country.

Under the law, lands that are eligible for free patent applications include untitled public alienable and disposable (A and D) lands which have been zoned as residential and zoned residential areas in proclaimed town site reservations.

The law also provides that any Filipino citizen who is in actual occupation of a residential public land for at least 10 years may apply for a free patent, provided that in highly urbanized cities, the land should not exceed 200 square meters and in other cities, it should not exceed 500 square meters.

The law also states that the application for a free patent in first and second-class municipalities should not exceed 750 square meters, and in all other municipalities, it should not exceed 1,000 square meters for as long as the land applied for is not needed for public service and/or public use.

Applications for residential free patent shall be filed at the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of the DENR, which has jurisdiction over the area. From the CENRO, the application, including the recommendation, shall be forwarded to the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer, who shall have five days to approve or disapprove the application.