QuestionsQuestions (Act No. 3077)
The Bureau of Lands administers laws relative to public lands not classified as timber lands, mineral lands, friar lands, and other public real property not under another government branch or office by law or competent authority.
As custodian and administrator of non-timber public lands classified by the Bureau of Forestry, the Bureau of Lands—subject to the approval of the Department Head—may regulate occupation or provisional use of such lands.
It may specify in its regulations the kinds of licenses to be issued, including licenses for taking stone, earth, and other products, provided such taking is not already regulated under existing law.
They have police authority over non-timber public lands and other real property under the Bureau’s custody and declared public domain by the courts, including authority to execute Bureau decisions, resolutions, and decrees.
They may be revoked or suspended by order of the Court of First Instance of the province where the public land or real property is located.
It must conduct surveys of the public domain, cadastral surveys, and official surveys or private property.
All existing records of Spanish grants and concessions of agricultural or mineral lands must be preserved in the Bureau of Lands.
Yes. The Director of Lands must furnish copies of records personally concerned with proper certification of correctness if desired, upon payment of: (1) one peso per certificate of correctness with seal; and (2) one peso per folio or fraction thereof (a specified paper size with formatting requirements).
It creates a reimbursement/collection mechanism: the Director certifies monthly amounts reimbursed or collected for cadastral surveys, and the Insular Treasurer pays an amount equal to amounts collected, with appropriations credited to Bureau funds for further cadastral surveys.
At month-end, the Director of Lands certifies to the Insular Auditor and Insular Treasurer the amounts reimbursed or collected on cadastral surveys; the Insular Treasurer is authorized to pay the Bureau an amount equal to those certified as having been collected.
Even if made by duly qualified private land surveyors, no plan of such survey (original or subdivision) shall be admitted in land registration proceedings until approved by the Director of Lands.
A fine not more than one hundred pesos or imprisonment not more than thirty days, or both.
Interfering with making any Bureau of Lands survey; interfering with placing monuments; defacing, destroying, or removing monuments; altering monument location; destroying or removing notices of survey posted pursuant to law.
The offender must reimburse the party entitled under the Bureau’s decision/resolution for damages to his interest in the tract of public land and for damages to crops and other improvements sustained due to the interference or violation.
It criminalizes any resistance in any manner whatsoever to the enforcement of valid Bureau decisions, resolutions, or orders affecting concession or disposition of portions of the public domain.
It amends all acts, parts of acts, proclamations, executive orders, circulars, and regulations that are inconsistent with the provisions of Act No. 3077.
On the date of its approval, i.e., after approval by the competent authority (approved March 16, 1923).