Atty. Emar G. Basilan

Sandbars are NOT alienable and disposable. They are unstable, temporary and often submerged during high tide, and thus remain part of the public dominion.

PROTECTED AREA

The island barangay of Iniwaran in the municipality of San Pascual, Masbate is included in the 414,224 -hectare Ticao Burias Pass Protected Seascape (TBPPS) which is a declared protected area under Republic Act 11038 otherwise known as the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018 (E-NIPAS Act). The TBPPS is the second largest (next only to Tañon Strait) declared protected area under the E-NIPAS Act and it covers portions of the provinces of Masbate, Albay and Sorsogon.

Thank you Barangay Chairman Angela Dadua, Barangay Secretary RE AH and all the accommodating barangay officials for showing us around in your breathtaking island!

Earnest Money vs Option Money

Magkapareho lang ba?

Disclaimer: The posts in this page are just general information, not legal advice nor as a solicitation for legal services. Please don't rely on it for legal decisions.

What is the Doctrine of Intergenerational Responsibility in Environmental Law?

Atty., kung wala naman pala pwedeng mag may-ari ng tubig bakit kailangan namin magbayad sa aming water district?

Environmental law and natural resources are closely tied, focusing on conservation and sustainable use.

Under Presidential Decree No. 1067 also known as The Water Code of the Philippines, all waters—including rivers, lakes, groundwater, rainwater, and atmospheric water—are owned by the State.

This is in line with the Regalian Doctrine that is enshrined in Article XII, Section 2 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which dictates that all lands of the public domain, waters, minerals, coal, petroleum, and other natural resources belong to the State. Under this principle, the State owns these resources and holds full control over their exploration, development, and utilization.

Ownership of water cannot be acquired through prescription, and use is allowed only through government-issued concessions or permits.

Any appropriation or use of water (except for family domestic use) requires a permit from the National Water Resources Board (NWRB)

EXCEPTION:

All the water within the ancestral domains of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous People (ICCs/IPs) are owned by them. This includes bodies of water, coastal areas, and natural resources therein, held under a claim of ownership since time immemorial. (Philippines' Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 or RA 8371)