DENR issues new rules to expedite titling process for residential land

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it issued new regulations to accelerate the process of residential land titling.

The changes involve simplified procedures, revised eligibility rules, and an electronic application and tracking process, it said.

DENR Administrative Order No. 2025-35 authorizes the overhaul of the residential free patent system to address barriers that have prevented households from obtaining land titles.

The order clarifies who qualifies as an actual occupant and allows heirs, spouses, returning residents, and those whose possession was interrupted for valid reasons, such as work, marriage, or disasters, to apply for titles.

The new rules establish a 120-day processing period for applications and enable electronic filing and monitoring through the Land Administration and Management System. Applicants may also defer submission of Land Registration Authority certification for up to 90 days.

The standardized application fee remains P150, while cadastral survey charges are waived, reducing the cost to applicants, according to the DENR.

The DENR said untitled land has contributed to delays in infrastructure projects, complications in inheritance, and vulnerability to property disputes.

“We are fixing a system that has left too many families in uncertainty for too long,” Environment Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said in a statement. “Our duty is to ensure that land governance is not only efficient but truly responsive to the realities ordinary Filipinos face.”

The DENR expects the updated rules to improve security of tenure, provide legal recognition for residential landowners, and reduce administrative backlogs. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel