Module'2:'

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I.'' INTRODUCTION!
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! 1.!!Importance+of+the+subject:+
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a. Importance!of!the!Subject!
b. Purpose!of!Land!Registration!!
c. The!Computerization!of!the!Land!Registration!Authority!(LRA)!and!its!Registries.!
d. Work!Flow!in!the!Registry!of!Deeds!under!the!Computerized!System!!
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' ' 2.!Definition!of!Terms+
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a. Land' Registration! is! a! judicial! or! administrative! proceeding! whereby! a! person’s! claim! over! a!
particular! land! is! determined! and! confirmed! or! recognized! so! that! such! land! and! the! ownership! thereof!
may!be!recorded!in!a!public!registry.!Note:!Registration!does!not!vest!title.!It!is!merely!evidence!of!such!
title!over!a!particular!property.!
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b. Registration'of'title'or'original'registration'takes!place!when!the!title!to!land!is!made!of!public!
record!for!the!first!time!in!the!name!of!its!lawful!owner.!!It!refers!to!the!registration!procedure!from!the!
filing! of! the! application! to! the! issuance! of! the! original! certificate! of! title! based! on! the! decree! of!
registration,!patent,!award!or!grant.!!As!to!its!nature,!original!registration!is!further!classified!into:!
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i. Judicial!which!may!either!be!voluntary!(ordinary)!or!compulsory!(cadastral)!!!
ii. Administrative!!!!!
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c. Registration'of'deeds'and'other'instruments'or'subsequent'registration,'on!the!other!hand,!takes!place!
when! a! deed! or! instrument! affecting! land! is! made! of! public! record! after! the! date! of! its! original!
registration.! ! Thus,! the! registration! of! a! sale,! mortgage,! lease,! attachment,! notice! of! levy! or! other!
encumbrances!falls!within!the!purview!of!subsequent!registration.!The!dealings!pertaining!to!lands!may!
refer!!to!either!voluntary!or!involuntary!instruments.!
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i. Voluntary' transactions' are! the! contracts! or! agreements! willfully! executed! by! the!
landowner! or! his! duly! authorized! representative! such! as! sales,! leases,! mortgages,! donations,!
exchanges,!trusts,!or!variations!thereof!affecting!real!estate.!
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ii. Involuntary'transactions'refer!to!those!executed!against!the!will!or!without!the!consent!
of!the!landowner!contrary!to!his!interest!or!will!affect!him!adversely!such!as!attachment,!levy!on!
execution,!adverse!claim,!lis!pendens!and!other!liens.!
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 d. Land'Titles!is!the!evidence!of!the!owner’s!right!or!extent!of!interest,!by!which!he!can!maintain!control!and!
as!a!rule!assert!right!to!the!exclusive!possession!and!enjoyment!of!property.!
! ! ! ! P!Distinction!between!“Title”!and!“Certificate!of!Title”!
! ! ! ! ! i.!!Torbela!vs.!Rosario,!G.R.!No.!140528,!December!7,!2011!
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e. Types'of'Certificates'of'Title!
! ! ! ! i.!!Original!Certificate!of!Title!(OCT)!–!the!first!title!issued!in!the!name!!of!the!registered!owner!!
! ! ! ! covering!a!parcel!of!land!which!had!been!registered!under!the!Torrens!System!by!virtue!of!a!!
! ! ! ! judicial!or!administrative!proceeding.!!It!consists!of!one!copy!filed!in!the!Register!! !
! ! ! ! of!Deeds!(called!the!original!copy),!and!the!owner’s!copy!given!to!the!! ! ! !
! ! ! ! owner!(called!the!owner’s!duplicate!copy).!
! ! ! ! ii.!!Transfer!Certificate!of!Title!(TCT)!–!the!title!issued!by!the!Register!of!Deeds!in!favor!of!a!!
! ! ! ! transferee!to!whom!the!ownership!of!a!registered!land!has!been!transferred!by!any!legal!mode!of!
! ! ! ! conveyance!(ex:!sale,!donation).!!It!also!consists!of!an!original!and!an!owner’s!duplicate!! !
! ! ! ! certificate.!
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f. Deed! is! the! instrument! in! writing! by! which! any! real! estate! or! interest! therein! is! created,! alienated,!
mortgaged,!or!assigned,!or!by!which!title!to!any!real!estate!may!be!affected!in!law!or!equity.!
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g. Torrens' System' is! a! system! for! registration! of! land! under! which,! upon! the! landowner’s! application,! the!
court!may,!after!appropriate!proceedings,!direct!the!issuance!of!a!certificate!of!title.'
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h. Torrens'Title'is!a!certificate!of!ownership!issued!under!the!Torrens!System,!through!the!Register!of!Deeds,!
naming! and! declaring! the! owner! of! the! real! property! described! therein,! free! from! all! liens! and!
encumbrances!except!such!as!may!be!expressly!noted!there!or!otherwise!reserved!by!law.'
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II.'' REGISTRATION'OF'LAND'TITLES'AND''
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Functions'of'Registration'
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The!three!major!functions!of!registration!are:!
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1.! Publicity! serves! to! give! notice! to! all! persons! from! time! to! time! of! such! registering,! filing! and! entering! that!!
certain!party!has!or!has!acquired!certain!rights!or!interests!in!the!property.'
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2.!Priority'serves!to!fix!and!determine!the!relative!rights!of!parties!whether!superior!or!subordinate,!in!relation!to!
time,!following!the!maxim!“priore'' tempore,' priore' jure”' (first! in! time,! first! in! law).! ! Article! 709! of! the! New! Civil! Code!
provides!that!the!titles!of!ownership!or!other!rights!over!immovable!property!which!are!not!duly!inscribed!or!annotated!in!
the!Registry!of!Property!shall!not!prejudice!third!persons.'
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 3.!Security!serves!to!provide!registrants!an!archive!for!muniments!of!! title,!rights!and!interests!in!land!recorded!in!
the!registry!where!the!property!is!located.'
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Modes'of'Registration'
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'''''' ' Registration!may!be!by:!
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1.' Transcription' is!the!entering!in!the!registration!book!by!the!register!of!deeds!of!the!original!certificate!of!title!
duly!numbered,!dated,!signed!and!!sealed!issued!pursuant!to!a!decree!of!registration,!patent,!award!or!grant.!
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2.'Inscription,'on!the!other!hand,!is!the!recording!on!the!certificate!of!title!a!memorandum!or!an!abstract!of!the!
instrument!sought!to!be!registered.!
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III.'' GOVERNING''''LAW'
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P.D.!1529!(Property!Registration!Decree),!approved!on!June!11,!1978,!! codified! and! incorporated! the! following!
laws!related!to!property!registration:!!
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1. Act!496!! The!Land!Registration!Act!(Feb!1,!1903)!
2. C.A.!141!! The!Public!land!Act!(Nov!7,!1936)!
3. Act!2259!! The!Cadastral!Act!(Feb!11,1913)!
4. Act!3344!! System!of!Registration!for!Unregistered!Lands!(December!8,!1926)!
5. Act!1508! The!Chattel!Mortgage!Law,!as!amended!(July!2,!1906)!
6. R.A.!26!! Reconstitution!of!Original!Certificates!of!Title!(Sept.!25,!1946).!!!!(Amended!by!RA!6732,!
July!17,!1989)!
7. P.D.!27!! Emancipation!Patents,!Land!Reform!Law!(October!21,!1972)!!
8. P.D.!957!! Subdivision!and!Condominium!Protective!Buyers’!Decree!(July!12,!1976)!
9. R.A.!4726!!!Condominium!Act!(June!18,!1966)!!
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IV.'' LEGAL'BASIS'AND'''NATURE'OF'LAND'REGISTRATION'(Sec.'1'to'3)!
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Chapter'I'(Sec.'2,'P.D.'1529)'
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Judicial!proceedings!for!the!registration!of!lands!throughout!the!Philippines!shall!be!in!rem!and!shall!be!
based!on!the!generally!accepted!principles!underlying!the!Torrens!system.!!!!!
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Regalian'Doctrine'
' Regalian!Doctrine!does!not!negate!Native!Title!
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! Concept!
 a. Cruz!vs.!Sec.!of!DENR!(G.!R.!No.!135385,!! December!6,!2000)!
b. Sec.!of!DENR!vs.!Yap!(G.!R.!No.!167707,!Oct.!8,!2008)!
c. Republic!vs.!CA,!et.al!!(G.!R.!No.!155450,!August!6,!2008)!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! !=!Spouses!Carag!Case!!
! Torrens'System'
! ! Reason!for!Adoption!in!the!Philippines!
! ! ! ! a.!!TenioPObsequio!vs.!CA,!G.R,!No.!107967,!March!1,!1994!
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! ! Purpose!and!Meaning!of!the!Torrens!System!of!Registration'
a. Legarda!vs.!Saleeby!(G.!R.!No.!8936,!Oct.!8,!2008)!
b. Bishop!vs.!CA!(G.!R.!No.!86787,!May!8,!1992!)!
c. MCIAA!vs.!Ijordan,!G.R.!No.!173140,!Jan.!11,!2016!
! ! ! Exception!to!the!rule!of!quieting!title!
! ! ! ! ! !!!!a.!!Angeles!v.!Sania,!GR!44493,!Nov.!3,!1938,!66!Phil.!444!
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Chapter'II'(Sec.'4'to'13)'
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LAND'REGISTRATION'COMMISSION'AND'ITS'REGISTRIES'OF'DEEDS''
1. The!Land!Registration!Authority!
a. Functions! ! of! the! Authority! P! Ministerial! duty! of! LRA! to! issue!
decrees!of!registration!with!obligation!to!seek!clarification!from!the!court!when!
in!doubt!
!! a.1.!!Rodriguez!v.!CA,!GR!184589,!June!13,!2013,!698!SCRA!352!

! ! ! ! 2.! Executive!Order!No.!649!!

3.!! Office!of!the!Register!of!Deeds;!General!Functions!
! ! ! ! ! Function!of!the!Register!of!Deeds!is!ministerial!in!nature!
a. Baranda!vs.!Gustilo,!G.!R.!No.!81163,!Sept.!26,!1988!

! ! ! ! ! Instances!when!the!RD!may!validly!refuse!registration!of!voluntary!instruments!and!!
! ! ! ! ! private!documents!

a.! Balbin!vs.!Register!of!Deeds!of!Ilocus!Sur,!G.!R.!No.!20611,!May!8,!!!!!
!! ! ! ! ! ! 1969!

! ! ! ! ! RD!has!no!power!to!determine!validity!of!document!

! ! ! ! ! ! a.! Almirol!vs.!Register!of!Deeds!of!Agusan!G.!R.!No.!L22486,!March!20,!!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1968!

! ! ! ! ! RD!not!dutyPbound!to!determine!validity!of!a!document!for!purposes!of!registration!

! ! ! ! ! ! a.! Gabriel!v.!RD!of!Rizal,!GR!LP17956,!Sept.!30,!1953,!9!SCRA!136!
 ! ! ! ! ! ! b.! Gurbax!Singh!Pabla!&!Co.!v.!Reyes,!GR!LP3970,!Oct.!29,!1952,!!