Administrative Titling of Real Property - no court proceedings needed!

Generally, a qualified individual may acquire ownership of alienable and disposable lands of the public domain through judicial confirmation of imperfect title under PD 1529. As the name suggests it involves filing the appropriate case in court.

There is, however, another option to acquire and register alienable and disposable public lands - an application for Free Patent.

As compared to judicial confirmation of imperfect title under Section 14(1) of PD 1529, an application for Free Patent is purely administrative in nature. 

Today, an application for Free Patent is only applicable to residential lands pursuant to Republic Act 100023, which shall be filed to the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of the DENR. The application for Free Patent for agricultural lands has already expired on December 31, 2020. Therefore, CENROs will no longer accept applications for agricultural free patent program beyond December 31, 2020, as prescribed by R.A. 9176.

Pursuant to Republic Act 100023, any Filipino citizen who is an actual occupant of a residential land may apply for a Free Patent Title. Provided, that in highly urbanized cities, the land should not exceed two hundred (200) square meters; in other cities, it should not exceed five hundred (500) square meters; in first class and second class municipalities, it should not exceed seven hundred fifty (750) square meters; and in all other municipalities, it should not exceed one thousand (1,000) square meters; Provided, further, That the land applied for is not needed for public service and/or public use.

The good thing about R.A. 100023 is that its coverage is quite substantial as it cover all lands that are zoned as residential areas, including townsites as defined under the Public Land Act.

Remember that the applicant for residential free patent should be in actual occupation, actual residence, and continuous possession and occupation of the parcel subject of the application, either by herself or himself or through her or his predecessor-in-interest, under a bona fide claim of acquisition of ownership, for at least ten (10) years prior to the filing of the application.