Land registration and tenure structure in slum areas in the city of Manila, Philippines

Abstract

There are many countries in the world facing problems of proper land registration, securing property rights and tenure security in informal settlements. It is particularly developing countries that face these kinds of challenges, and the efforts to reduce poverty through securing tenure is even more challenging than ever. Informal settlers are often settling down in the major cities where access to possible employment is one of the highest criteria. The only problem is that they settle into the areas illegally – without any rights of occupying the land. Problems like accessing information about the people living there, and whether they have formal rights is difficult for those standing outside of the informal community.

The Philippines is a developing country, and is on the road of improving its status both economically and socially. The land registration system has gone from being based on paper work to a computerized system with the goal of eliminating double- and fake land titles. The system will provide more efficient processes of obtaining rights to a land by getting an original certificate of title, and it will also reduce the high costs of property transactions. The Residential Free Patent Act no. 10023 is a new law that provides easier requirements and procedures in formalizing residential lands. The law will provide over 40 million Filipinos living on unregistered land with property rights to the area they occupy.

The findings from the Philippines on land registration and tenure structure is discussed further in this thesis, including the topics mentioned above.