Question & AnswerQ&A (DENR MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 2000 -16)
The policy declared is the commitment of the Department to uphold the integrity and sanctity of the Torrens System of property registration and to address fraudulent activities resulting from defective survey plans that lead to fake titles.
For lots of one hectare or more, the approximate boundary of the area under cultivation, the nature of its vegetation (e.g., rice, pastures, woods), and a brief description of topographic features (plain, rolling, hilly, mountainous) must be indicated in light black dotted lines on the survey plans.
For lots less than one hectare, a general classification such as 'residential lot', 'home lot', 'rice land', 'sugar cane land', or 'commercial lot' should be indicated on the plans.
Permanent structures such as buildings with concrete foundations or stone walls must be indicated by dotted black lines on the plans and maps, regardless of the area.
Section 586 requires that the plans be drawn at a scale that shows all essential details and that the location of all buildings be approximately plotted and numbered. Also, the plan size shall not exceed the size of a cadastral map sheet as prescribed in Section 351.
A proforma certification must be included at the lower portion of the survey plan for original land registration and isolated survey plans of friar lands and other patrimonial government properties with private claimants, certifying faithful compliance with Sections 379 and 586 and that the person for whom the survey was conducted exercises possessory rights over the area and permanent improvements observed.
Survey plans that do not comply with the provisions shall not be approved and will be rejected by the Regional Office concerned.
The Order took effect immediately upon adoption on August 8, 2000.
The Memorandum Circular was signed and promulgated by Antonio H. Cerilles, Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.