BATAS PAMBANSA Blg. 187
An Act to Amend Section One Hundred Seven of Commonwealth Act Numbered One Hundred Forty-One, Otherwise Known as the Public Land Law, Authorizing District Land Officers in Every Province to Sign Patents or Certificates Covering Lands Commonly Known as Nafco Lands Not Exceeding Five Hectares
Section 1. Section One hundred seven of Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred forty-one, as amended, is further amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 107. All patents or certificates for land granted under this Act shall be prepared in the Bureau of Lands and shall be issued in the name of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines under the signature of the President of the Philippines: Provided, however, That the President of the Philippines may delegate to the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources and/or the Undersecretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources the power to sign patents or certificates covering lands not exceeding one hundred forty-four hectares in area, and to the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources the power to sign patents or certificates covering lands exceeding one hundred forty-four hectares in area: Provided, further, That District Land Officers in every province are hereby empowered to sign patents or certificates covering lands not exceeding five hectares including lands transferred to the Republic of the Philippines under the Philippine Property Act of Nineteen hundred and forty-six, (Act of Congress of the United States on July 3, 1946) and Philippine Act Numbered Eight and all public lands transferred from the Bureau of Lands to the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation, under Executive Order Numbered Ninety-nine, dated October 22, 1947, commonly known as NAFCO lands, and improvement thereon subsequently transferred to the Board of Liquidators and the Bureau of Building and Real Property Management: Provided, That no applicant shall be permitted to split the area applied for by him in excess of the area fixed in this section among his relatives with the sixth degree of consanguinity or affinity excepting the applicant’s married children who are actually occupying the land: Provided, finally, That copies of said patents issued shall be furnished to the Bureau of Lands for record purposes. No patent or certificate shall be issued by the District Land Officer unless the survey of the land covered by such patent or certificate, whether made by the Bureau of Lands or by a private survey, has been approved by the Director of Lands. The Director of Lands shall promptly act upon all surveys submitted to him for approval and return the same to the District Land Officer within ninety days after receipt of such surveys by his office. In case of disapproval, the Director of Lands shall state the reasons therefor. Any person aggrieved by the decision or action of the District Land Officer may, within thirty days from receipt of the copy of the said decision, appeal to the Director of Lands. Such patents or certificates shall be effective only for the purposes defined in Section One hundred and twenty-two of the Land Registration Act, and actual conveyance of the land shall be effected only as provided in said section.
"All surveys pending approval of the Director of Lands at the time this Act takes effect shall be acted upon by him within ninety days from the effectivity of this Act."
Section 2. Upon the approval of this Act, the Board of Liquidations and the Bureau of Building and Real Property Management shall immediately transmit to the respective District Land Officers of the provinces where the NAFCO lands are situated the papers, documents and applications of NAFCO lands.
Section 3. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations which are inconsistent with this Act are repealed, altered, or modified accordingly.1âwphi1
Section 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Approved: March 16, 1982
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