Question & AnswerQ&A (Act No. 1120)
The main purpose of Act No. 1120 is to provide for the administration, temporary leasing, and sale of certain haciendas and parcels of land known as Friar Lands, which were purchased by the Government of the Philippine Islands. The Act sets the guidelines for title examination, surveying, leasing, selling, and creating a sinking fund to pay bonds issued for the purchase of these lands.
The Civil Governor is authorized and directed to have a careful examination made to ascertain the sufficiency and soundness of the titles to said lands, and may employ legal counsel for this purpose, as provided in Section 1.
The Consulting Engineer is directed to conduct careful surveys of the haciendas and lands to ascertain the actual quantity of land specified in the contracts, as per Section 2.
Actual settlers and occupants at the time the lands are acquired by the government have preference to purchase their holdings at the actual cost to the government, payable in up to ten annual installments with interest, as stated in Sections 11 and 13.
Occupants who do not wish to purchase their land but desire to lease it may do so under a lease with usual covenants, paying reasonable rent fixed by the Chief of the Bureau of Public Lands. The maximum lease term is three years, per Section 8.
All money derived from sales, leases, and interest on deferred payments is held as a trust fund in the Insular Treasury to pay principal and interest of bonds issued by the government to finance the purchase. This fund also serves as a sinking fund for bond payment at maturity, as provided in Section 23.
For lessees, the Chief of the Bureau of Public Lands may declare the lease forfeited and take possession. For purchasers, the government may bring suit for payment and foreclose its lien by selling the land, with the purchaser at sale acquiring an indefeasible title, as prescribed in Section 17.
No. All irrigation canals, ditches, reservoirs, and water supplies remain under government control for the common benefit of all dependent interests, and purchasers shall be considered as assenting to equitable assessments for maintenance, according to Section 19.
If the certificate holder dies before the deed is executed, the widow is entitled to the deed upon compliance with purchase requirements. If there is no widow, the interest descends to heirs according to Philippine laws, as seen in Section 16.
All leases or sales made by the Chief of the Bureau of Public Lands under this Act must be approved by the Secretary of the Interior to be valid, as stated in Section 18.