Q. I wish to know the limitation of landownership for foreigners. I and my family are now Canadian citizens. We wish to buy lands in the Philippines. However, I was informed by a lawyer in the Philippines that as foreigners we are not allowed to own lands in our country.
Attorney, sumulat po ako sa inyo upang humingi ng payo tungkol sa nabili naming agricultural land sa aming probinsiya.
Ito po ay 7,500 sq meter kulang po ng isang ektarya. Ako at ang aking asawa ay Canadian citizen. Sabi daw ng attorney
sa Pilipinas ay hindi puedeng ipangalan sa amin ang lupa sapagkat kami ay dayuhan sa Pilipinas.
Tanong: Gaano kalawak ba puedeng mag-may-ari ang tulad namin sa agricultural land? Ano po ang dapat naming gawin.
Marami pong salamat sa pagtugon ninyo sa aking sulat. Gumagalang at Nagpapasalamat, BV.
Ans:
Ayon sa Batas Pambansa Bilang 185 , ang isang former natural-born Filipino Citizen and naging citizen ng ibang bansa, ay maari pa ring mag maymay-ari ng lupain sa Pilipinas . Tulad ng iyong nasabi, ang nabili ninyong lupain ay 7,500 sq. m. lang, samakatuwid qualified pa kayo.
Ayon sa nasabing batas, kayo ay maaring mag mamay-ari ng di lalampas ng 10,000 sq.m., kung ang lupa ay nasa rural area, at di lalampas ng 1,000 sq.m. kung ang lupa ay nasa urban area. Ang nasabing lupain ay maaring gamitin lamang for residential purposes.
Moreover , under the Foreign Investment Act of 1991, otherwise known as Republic Act No. RA 7042, and which was further amended by RA 8179, land ownership by former natural-born citizens, was further increased from 1,000 sq.m. to 5,000 sq.m.,for urban land and a maximum of three(3) hectares for rural land, for business and investment purposes.
At kung nabili niyo ang lupang ito, bago kayo nagging isang Canadian citizen, ang limitation ng pag mamay-ari ng lupain sa Pilipinas ng mga dayuhan, ay hindi applicable sa inyo, ayong sa decision ng ating korte suprema. (Republic vs. Court of Appeals, 235 SCRA 567.)
Ang isa pa ninyong option ….. is to apply for a Dual Citizenship, sang-ayon sa Republic Act No. 9225 , upang sa ganoon ang limitation sa pag-aari ng lupa ng dayuhan ay hindi maging applicable sa inyo. Ang option na ito ay available lamang sa mga former natural born Filipino citizen, na naging naturalized citizen ng ibang bansa tulad ng Canada at mga iba pang bansa .
Basi sa nasabing batas ay maki-pag ugnayan ka sa iyong abogado o di kay mag hanap ka ng isang abogado na maaring makatulong sa iyo sa Pilipinas.
Salamat sa pag-sulat mo at sanay nabigyan ng linaw ang iyong katanungan .
# # #
Disclaimer: Batas Pinoy Corner Not Legal opinion:
Material placed on this corner is for the purpose of providing information only. It is not intended as practice of law or legal services. Although the writer believes this information to be accurate at the time it is first provided or as relayed by the person asking or soliciting the information from the writer. Such circumstances or understanding of the facts as conveyed to the writer by the sender may not actually reflect the ultimate facts or circumstances earlier represented and as understood by the writer.
This writer makes no representation, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the information provided in this writing. The content provided by Batas Pinoy Corner is not meant to be a substitute for legal opinion. Always consult your lawyer or other legal professional for legal advice as regards to the information obtained in this column.