Amendment rule and covered provision
- DENR Administrative Order No. 2010-25 amends Section 3 of DENR Administrative Order No. 12 Series of 2010.
- The amendment specifically concerns the qualifications for applicants for issuance of free patents to residential lands.
Qualifications for residential free patent applicants
- Applicants for issuance of a residential free patent must possess Filipino citizenship.
- Filipino citizenship is defined by subsection 2.1.
- In case of doubt, the CENRO or the land investigator concerned may require proof of citizenship such as a copy of the birth certificate, passport, decree or order of naturalization, or certificate of dual citizenship.
- Applicants must have actual occupation, actual residence, and continuous possession and occupation of the parcel subject of the application.
- The continuous occupation must be for at least ten (10) years prior to the filing of the application.
- Occupation and residence may be exercised by the applicant either personally or through a predecessor-in-interest, under a bona fide claim of acquisition of ownership.
- There is no age requirement for applicants as long as minor applicants aged below eighteen (18) years old are duly represented by their legal guardians.
- The heirs of a deceased applicant may substitute the applicant provided the heirs possess the required qualifications.
- Only one application is allowed per applicant.
Scope, purpose, and implementation directive
- The issuance is made in the interest of the service to further improve the implementation of Republic Act No. 10023.
- DENR Administrative Order No. 2010-25 directs that Section 3 of DENR Administrative Order No. 12 Series of 2010 shall be read as amended with the qualifications listed.
- DENR Administrative Order No. 2010-25 contains an instruction that the amendment governs the qualifications for residential free patent applicants under Republic Act No. 10023.