Revised guidelines for environmental land survey

R.A. No. 1273 Section 1 (I): Requires a 40-meter wide strip on each side of rivers/streams be demarcated and preserved as permanent timberland, prohibiting clearing or farming even after land patent or lease.
P.D. No. 705 Section 16(7) and (8): Mandates 20-meter wide strips along rivers, streams, mangroves, swamplands, and shorelines for forest purposes.
P.D. No. 1067 Article 51: Establishes public easement zones of 3 meters in urban, 20 meters in agricultural, and 40 meters in forest areas along water bodies for public use (recreation, navigation, fishing, etc.).

All alienable and disposable lands subject to 40-meter strip demarcation from riverbanks as permanent timberland.
Public lands along water bodies must also observe public easement zones per P.D. No. 1067.

Untitled private lands surveyed under P.D. 1529 must mark the public easement strips (3 meters urban, 20 meters agricultural) with dotted lines.
Surveying to proceed only after CENRO investigation confirming continuous, open, exclusive possession since time immemorial by claimant or predecessors.
CENRO findings become part of survey supporting documents.

Survey returns not complying with public and private lands requirements shall be returned for correction.

Lands under public land applications found noncompliant must be amended to comply with legal requirements.
Requests for survey documents used in judicial land titling proceeding issued only after CENRO confirms claimant's eligibility based on possession and occupation.
Non-qualified claims must be resurveyed to conform to the required standards.

Administratively titled lands subdivided or consolidated must demarcate 3-meter strips in urban areas on survey plans; purpose and easement noted in descriptions and titles.
Judicially titled lands subdivided or consolidated must mark 3-meter strips (urban) and 20-meter strips (agricultural) with dotted lines.
For housing, commercial, or industrial developments, the 3-meter strip along water bodies must be preserved as open space per P.D. 1216 and cannot be further subdivided.

This order modifies inconsistent prior orders, circulars, or instructions.
The order takes effect fifteen days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.