Act 926 summary
If the chief of BPL after due notice, that the
Enacted: October 7, 1903
Homesteading
Selling
Leasing
Townsite establishments
Completion of imp title thru court proceedings
HOMESTEAD
Sec 1. Who is a qualified applicant for homestead
application?
- Any citizen of the Philippines/US
- Age above 21 years old or head of family
- Not an owner of more than 16 has of land
How many hectares?
- 16 has of unoccupied, unreserved,
unappropriated agricultural public land.
Sec 2. Where to file an application for homestead?
- File with land officer or with the chief of BPL
What to prove?
- That the applicant possesses none of the
disqualifications.
- That the land is for actual settlement and
cultivation
- That the land is not directly or indirectly for
the use of or benefit of any other person
- That the land is non mineral
- Does not contain valuable deposits of coal
and salt
- More valuable for agricultural than forest
- Not occupied by any other person
- Show boundary of land
Sec 3. No certificate/patent shall be issued until 5
years after date of filing expires. Within 3 years
after that said expiration, the applicant shall prove
by 2 witness that he resided upon the land for the
last 2 years.; and cultivated the land for 5 years
after application.
The applicant shall prove that there are no
encumbrances.
If the applicant died before issuance of title, the
widow shall be entitled to the patent
In case there is no widow, the interest of the
applicant shall descend and patent shall be issued
to the person who would have taken had the tile
been perfected by patent before death
Sec 4. No land shall be mortgaged or under lien
prior to issuance of patent.
Sec 5.
homesteader voluntarily abandoned the land for
more than 6months during the 2 year of residence,
the BPL may cancel the entry
Sec 6. 1 homestead per person.
Sec 7. Due notice shall be given to the public
before the applicant shall submit proof of
compliance.
Sec 8. Any person may file a petition against the
homestead entry. Charging that:
1. The land is not unoccupied, unreserved, or
unappropriated agricultural land at the time
of filing
2. Alleging disqualification of entryman
3. Non-compliance with law as to residents or
cultivation
4. Or others
If proven, cancellation of entry.
Sec 9. No patent unless surveyed under direction
of chief of BPL.
Cost shall be borne by the insular government.
SALE
Sec 10. Who may buy a portion of agricultural
public land?
- Any citizen of the Philippines/US/corp/assos
What land is open or purchase?
- Unoccupied, unappropriated, unreserved
non mineral agricultural public land.
How many hectares?
- 16 has for individual
- 1024 for corp/asso/unincorp
Sec 11. In case the land to be sought exceeds 64
has, it must be a contiguous squares which shall
contain 64 has each.
Provided, there must be a 32 has purchased
No one should gain any such control of any
adjacent land, water, stream, shoreline, way,
roadstead or other valuable right prejudicial to the
interest of public
Sec 12. Where to file?
- File with land officer or chief of BPL.
What must be stated under oath?
- The citizenship and post-office address
- Location of land
- Description of land
- If any portion is occupied
- That it is non mineral, non forest
Sec 13. Duty of chief of BPL is to examine all
application to purchase. And whether the applicant
is qualified. Whether the land is non mineral or non
forest.
Secretary of interior, after approving, shall order the
sale to be made
The chief of BPL shall appraise the land which shall
not be less than 10 pesos/hectares.
Sec 14. All bids must be sealed and addressed to
the chief of BPL. Enclosed is 25% of the amount of
bid.
No bid is accepted if less than the appraised value
of land.
Sec 15. Land is awarded to the highest bidder.
If the bid of the applicant is not the highest, then the
chief of BPL shall submit the land for public bidding.
Sec 16. Amount is paid in equal annual payments.
Or one instalment, at expiration of 5 years from
date of award.
All sum remaining after date of award, shall bear
6% per annum.
Sec 17. No patent unless the land is surveyed, with
accurate plat.
Cost is borne by the purchaser if corp, but
government if individual.
No patent until after expiration of 5 years from date
of award. And show actual occupancy, cultivation,
and improvement or 5 years after date of award
that no encumbrance.
Sec 18. If after date of award and before issuance
of patent, the chief of BPL proved that the
purchaser voluntarily abandoned the land for more
than 1 year at any time, or failed to comply, the land
is reverted to the government.
Sec 19. Only one purchase for max of land by one
person/corp
Sec 20. if the purchaser died before patent, the
distributes of his estate may claim the rights of the
applicant. If they perfect the requirement of law,
patent shall issue to such distributes.
Sec 21.
LEASES
Sec 22. Who is qualified to apply for lease of public
domain?
- Any citizen of the Philippines/ US
- Any corp/assoss
What portion of public domain is available for
lease?
- Unoccupied, unreserved, nonmineral
agricultural publicland.
How many hectares can an individual/corp/assos
lease?
- 1024 has
No lease shall interfere with prior claim unless
consent of claimants are obtained or such claim is
extinguished.
Sec 23. Leases must be made of contiguous legal
subdivisions.
If the land sought for lease exceeds 64 has, it must
be in contiguous squares which shall contain
atleast 64 has each.
And there must be one rectangular 32 has
Lease must not take control of adjacent land, water,
stream, shoreline, way, roadstead
Sec 24. Lease must be executed under oath and
filed with land officer or chief of BPL.
Applicant must show:
1. Citizenship and address
2. Location of land
3. Description of land
4. Statement that land is nonmineral
5. More valuable than agricultural than forest
purposes.
6. For corp/assos, file evidence of their legal
existence and authority to transact business
Sec 25. Applicants must publish a notice of intent to
lease the land.
Sec 26. The chief of BPL shall examine the
application, whether the applicant is qualified, the
land is not forest purposes, and non mineral.
Chief shall report to the Sec of Interior, who shall
approve and issue lease.
Sec 27. Rate/hectare/annum – not less than 50
centavos.
Paid to the chief yearly in advance. First payment is
before delivery of lease.
Sec 28. Lease period – 25 years renewable for
another 25 years

Shall not be sublet without approval of BPL and SI
Sec 29. No lease unless surveys under dir of chief
and accurate plat prepares.
Cost of survey is borne by the lessee
Sec 30. Lease shall not confer right to remove
timber except when bureau of forestry so provides
in regulations.
Nor shall such lease confer right to remove stone,
oil, coal, salts and other mineral
Sec 31. Violation of forestry regulations shall forfeit
his last payment and render him liable to immediate
dispossession and suit for damage
FREE PATENT TO NATIVE SETTLERS
Sec 32. Any native now as occupant of unreserved,
unappropriated agricultural public land,
Who has continuously occupied and cultivated the
land since August 1, 1890 or
Prior to August 1, 1898 for 3 years prior to said date
and who has been continuously since July 4, 1902
until effectivity of this act, an occupier and cultivator
of such land
shall be entitled to have a patent without
compensation for an area of 16 has.
Sec 33. Any applicant must file with chief or land
officer for a patent before January 1, 1923.
Application must be executed under oath, and must
show:
1. Name, age and address of applicant
2. He is native
3. Location of land
4. Description of land
5. The land is not claimed or occupied by other
person
6. Date when his ancestor entered into
occupation and began cultivation
7. Description of improvement
8. Show name of ancestor
Sec 34. Chief shall investigate. When satisfied, he
shall cause a patent not exceeding 16 has.
Adverse claimant has an opportunity to present
their claims.
No patent unless survey by the chief and accurate
plat is made
Sec 35. Lands acquired under this chapter shall not
be encumbered for 7 years from issuance of patent
TOWSITES
Sec 36. When SI thinks that the public needs a
townsite reservation from the public land, the SI
shall direct the Chief to make a survey of the
exterior boundary of the land
Sec 37. After survey, the SI shall forward it to the
PH commission
Sec 38. The commission, if he approves the
recommendation of SI, shall issue a resolution
reserving the land surveyed.
Such resolution shall be sent to the chief for the
recording then to the ROD
Sec 39. The chief shall direct the subdivision and
plat of the land.
Sec 40. The commission, by resolution, or the chief
if no resolution, shall reserve from the land to be
platted, lots of sufficient size, necessary avenues,
streets, alleys. Parks, and plaza.
Sec 41. The plat shall designate lots as business
lots and the remaining as residence lots.
It shall note lots owned by private individuals.
Sec 42. All lots, public or private within the
boundary shall be platted and numbered upon a
general plan o system
Sec 43. The plat of the subdivision shall be
prepared under dir of chief and submitted to the SI
for presentation of the commission for its
consideration, modification, amendment, or
approval
Sec 44.
Sec 45.
Sec 46.
Sec 47. All lots, except privately owned/claimed,
parks, public building, public uses, shall be sold.
Sec 48.
Sec 49. Lots for sale are sold at public auction to
the highest bidder
Sec 50. Up to 2 residence lots and two business
lots in one townsite per person/corp/assos

Sec 51. Lots not sold in public bidding shall be sold
privately by the chief for not less than their value.
Sec 52.
Sec 53.
UNPERFECTED TITLE, SPANISH GRANTS AND
CONCESSIONS
Sec 54. The following person occupying public land
whose titles have not been perfected, may apply to
the COURT OF LAND REGISTRATION for
confirmation of their claims, and be entitled a
certificate of title.
1. All person, prior to transfer of sovereignty to
US, who had paid and fulfilled all the
conditions req by the Spanish laws and
royal decrees for purchase of public land,
but failed to secure title.
2. All person, prior to transfer of sovereignty to
US, who applied for purchase, had secured
a survey, auction, and award or right to an
award, but did not receive title through no
fault upon their part
3. All person, prior to transfer of sovereignty to
US, who applied for purchase, secured a
survey and award, did not through
negligence upon their part, comply with the
conditions or any payment, but after survey
and award have occupied the land
adversely, except prevented by war or force
majeure
4. All person who were entitled to apply but did
not apply for title, prior to royal decree of
Feb 13, 1894, but failed to receive title no
default on their part.
5. All person entitled to a gratuitous title by
“possessory proceedings”, have complied
with all the conditions but failed to receive
title no default upon their part
6. All person, by themselves or predecessors-
in-interest has been OCENPO of
agricultural public land, for 10 years prior to
the effectivity of this act.
All person under par 1,2,3,4,5 must establish
proper official record or documents.
Such requirement shall not apply to the fact of
adverse possession.
Sec 55.
Sec 56. Any person claiming any land under the
provision of this chapter, who now desire to claim
the right to have such title perfected must present
an application in writing to the COURT OF LAND
REGISTRATION.
Sec 57. Such claim shall conform to the
requirements of an application for registration under
sec 21 (application shall be in writing..) and
subsequent sections of the LRA of 1902.
Application shall be accompanied by a plan of the
land and all documents evidencing a right on the
part of the applicant to the land claimed.
Upon original registration of land claimed under this
chapter, no fee shall be required for the assurance
fund.
Sec 58. Any application for registration under this
chapter must secure a survey and plan of the lands
claimed.
Sec 59. Upon filing of claims and applications for
registration in the COURT, the same procedure
shall be adopted in the hearing of such cases and
appeals as stated in the LRA.
But applications and plan of land claims shall be
forwarded to the chief of BPL.
Sec 60. It shall be the duty of the examiner of title
to investigate all the facts alleged by the applicant
Sec 61. It shall be lawful for the chief of BPL to file
a petition to the COURT against the claimant of any
land, who shall not voluntarily come in under the
provisions of this chapter, praying that the title to
any such land be settled and adjudicated.
Sec 62. Whenever lands under this chapter is set
aside as townsite reservation, it shall be lawful for
the chief of BPL with approval of SI to notify the
COURT that such land has been reserved, that all
private lands within the limits shall be brought
within the operations of the LRA, and to become a
registered land.
It shall be the duty of the judge to notify claimants
that such lands must be presented for registration
under LRA and act 627
Sec 63. All proceedings under this chapter shall be
considered as an application for registration of such
land.
Final decrees of the court shall be the basis for the
OCT
Sec 64. Conflicts shall be adjudicated by the court
Sec 65. Sec 76. Right to use for purposes of power any flow
Sec 66. water in any stream running through or by the land
Sec 67. No title or right to public land be acquired granted to convertible power from which at ordinary
by prescription or by adverse possession. low water exceeds 50 horsepower,

GENERAL PROVISIONS Sec 77. False proof and affidavit= guilty of perjury
Sec 68. Title: PUBLIC LAND ACT Sec 78.

Sec 69. The chief under SI shall prepare and issue

such forms and instructions consistent with this act.

Sec 70. Title to public lands remains in the

government
The chief under SI shall be charged with executive
control of the survey, classification, lease, sale and
other disposition and management of public land.
Decisions of bureau shall be conclusive when
approved by the SI

Sec 71. The civil governor (now president), shall

from time to time by proclamation, designate any
public land as non-alienable, after proclamation,
such land shall be withdrawn from settlement,
entry, sale or other dispositon.

Sec 72. Provincial-secretaries may be designated

as mining recorded

Sec 73. All patents or certificate for lands disposed

under this law shall be prepared in the BPL.
Issued in the name of US and PH gov with
signature of Civil Governor.
Such patents/certificates shall be effective only for
the purposes defined in sec 122 of the LRA.
Sec 122. When a public land is granted by the
state to a person or to a public or private
corporation, the same shall be brought under this
act and shall become a registered land.
The government shall issue the instrument of
conveyance and file it to the ROD like other deeds
and conveyances before such instrument is
delivered to the grantee. A certificate shall be
entered, and an owner’s duplicate certificate issued
to the grantee.
The fees for registration shall be paid by the
grantee.

Sec 74. All person receiving title to the Government

lands, shall hold such lands subject to the same
public servitude (Public servitude is when someone
has a right to use a piece of land or property
without owning it)

Sec 75. The beneficial use of water shall be the

basis and limit of all rights.