PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES, CODES & ISSUANCES
PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES AND CODES - CHAN ROBLES VIRTUAL LAW LIBRARY
REPUBLIC ACTS
AN ACT TO AMEND COMMONWEALTH ACT
NUMBERED SIX HUNDRED NINETY-ONE ENTITLED "AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE FREE
DISTRIBUTION, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, OF LOTS OF TWENTY-FOUR HECTARES
EACH OF AGRICULTURAL LAND OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN"
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Section 1. Sec. one of
Commonwealth Act Numbered Six hundred ninety-one is hereby amended to
read as follows:
"Section 1. Any citizen of the Philippines who is more than
eight years of age and who does not own more than twenty-four hectares
of land in the Philippines, nor who shares in the benefits of any free
distribution of any public land since the occupation of the Philippines
by the United States, may apply for the cultivation of a lot of
agricultural land of the public domain, which is neither occupied nor
reserved for public purposes, having an area of not to exceed
twenty-four hectares, and a residential lot of not to exceed one
thousand six hundred square meters and obtain free title to the same,
as provided for herein, giving preference to those who are indigents as
well as those who have any dependents to support."
Sec. 2. Sec. two of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec.
2. For the purposes of this Act, the Director of
Lands shall take steps for the classification and survey of
agricultural lands of the public domain, especially those bordering on
national highways. The lands thus classified shall be subdivided into
lots of not less than eight nor more than twenty-four hectares each,
depending upon the location of the lots and the crop adaptability of
the soil, and into residential lots of not less than six hundred nor
more than one thousand six hundred square meters each in suitably
located residential sites, and in order to speed up the survey and
subdivision work, the services of private surveyors duly qualified may
be employed in which case the Director of Lands shall impose the
condition that not more than five thousand hectares in superficial area
shall be assigned to a surveyor, nor more than ten thousand hectares to
a partnership or group of surveyors. The survey work shall be given to
the best bidder and same shall not be adjudicated until the surveyor or
partnership or group of surveyors shall have furnished a bond
satisfactory to the Director of Lands in sum equivalent to thirty per
centum, at least, of the total value or amount agreed upon for the
survey work, to answer for its faithful performance."
Sec. 3. Sec. seven of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec.
7. No certificate whatever shall be issued nor shall
any deed of ownership of the land applied for be extended until at
least one-fourth of the land has been improved and cultivated. The
period in which cultivation of the said land shall be made shall not be
less than one year nor more than five years, from the date of approval
of the application. The applicant, during the period, shall notify the
Director of Lands, as soon as the said applicant is in readiness to
acquire the title. If on the date of said notification the applicant
proves to the satisfaction of the Director of Lands that he has settled
(and resided) for at least one year in the land itself or in the
residential Sec. of the same colony site and has cultivated
continuously at least one-fourth of the land since the date of approval
of the application, and subscribes to an affidavit that no part of the
said land has been transferred or encumbered, and that he has fulfilled
all the requisites set forth in this Act, he shall then be entitled to
a free title to the said land."
Sec. 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Approved: October 17,
1946
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