Scope and Relation to Existing Laws
- The Act applies only to lands within specified areas proclaimed by the Governor-General for free patent applications.
- It explicitly does not alter, modify, or change the existing laws related to the acquisition of real property in the Philippines.
Notice and Public Information Duties
- The Director of Lands is responsible for notifying the public of the monument placement requirement.
- Notice must be published once a week for at least four weeks in the Official Gazette, in English and Spanish.
- Additional publication must occur in one English and one Spanish newspaper published in Manila or within the affected area, if available, for the same period.
- The notice must also be furnished to the Provincial Board and Municipal Council for posting in conspicuous places in provincial and municipal buildings and bulletin boards of each barrio.
- To ensure broad awareness, the notice must be translated into local dialects and announced weekly for four consecutive weeks by bandillos or public criers in all affected locales.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
- Any claimant who willfully refuses to comply with the placement of boundary monuments within the period specified by the Governor-General's proclamation commits a misdemeanor.
- Upon conviction by a competent court, penalties include a fine not exceeding one hundred pesos, imprisonment not exceeding thirty days, or both, at the court's discretion.
Effectivity
- The Act took effect immediately upon its approval on March 16, 1923.