Masaya, malungkot, nakakaawa at nakakagalit ang mga narinig kong kwento na nangyari before. Pero hindi na kailangang maghanap ng sisisihin. All gratitude to those who tried to do the early spadework, raised those placards, and marched to the courts to get our collective voices heard. We are where we are today because of them, and our line is now moving.  

Pero mahaba pa ito. Andiyan pa ang Registry of Deeds at ang Philippine Navy sa golf course at ang mga development options at ang kanya-kanyang individual and vested interests – as well as all concerned, involved and interested parties, agencies and organizations. We have most of them in our sights, but we cannot engage them simultaneously.

For now we simply need to keep our heads down and focus on the requirements which will be issued by dedicated DENR staff and announced here. That includes, in particular, the requirements attached to the applications of those who had gone before us such as original copies of extra judicial settlements and other authorizations, which could delay the process. Last Friday, we learned of one small requirement: the need for a CERTIFICATION OF NO PROPERTY from the Assessor’s Office in Taguig in addition to the affidavit of no improvements from lot owners. Seeing the difficulty it would present to lot owners who are not within Manila area, I asked the DENR side if they would allow AFPOVAI to instead submit SPAs in their behalf. Thankfully, they conceded. (This means we will be asking for your individually signed authorizations in this regard. Thank God, there’s digital technology now.)

We also need to anticipate the additional requirements in DENR’s transmittal of the deeds of sale to the Registry of Deeds in due time, e.g. the notarization cost of P300 and other fees beyond DENR’s call. (We’ll get them nonetheless for your information.) So as early as now, we advise everyone not to cut any deals with anyone, but only work to secure your respective TCTs by preparing all the necessary documents and payments. That’s the surest and safest thing we can do.

Again, thanks for all your compliments. Time to rest for now.



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SOME ANSWERS

I just got back from a family trip and noticed online that there seems to have been be a bit of confusion on the no-property or non-property requirement as well as other requirements shown in our posted DENR checklist. Allow me to provide some answers.

The certification of no property, according to DENR, is needed to establish that no applicant shall have been awarded the same kind of real property within the same area for the same intent and purpose, and that the applicant is assessed to be deserving of being an awardee in light of his no-property status. In the context of DENR’s transfer and conveyance of an erstwhile government land – in our case, the AFPOVAI area – the status of a candidate as a non-recipient of a previous grant, award or sale of land from the government in that particular area, appears to be a primary consideration.  Of course, given the passage of time, any Phase 678 lot applicant, may already have acquired his/her own property in Taguig from another source or seller, but that is of no moment as long as the property did not come from the government.

From the perspective of the Assessor’s Office, on the other hand, the certificate of non-property is an assessment document requirement for new applications in Taguig for taxation purposes. The sample image posted above is instructive as it certifies the existence of no real property registered in the name of the concerned person in the city for taxation purposes as of the filing date. 

Easily you may note that the non-property certification is issued by the Assessor’s Office following the submission by an applicant of a written request which, by the way, is different from the affidavit on non-improvement which is submitted to DENR. In this regard, any property applicant may simply walk into the Assessor’s Office and make such request. That is the normal procedure. (I gathered that if you happen to be in the category of those with an existing property and get asked about the reason for such request, you may simply inform the officer at the Assessor’s Office that this is a DENR requirement. But don’t ask me further.) 

Now in our case, given the fruits of our JTF agreements, the certification may be issued upon proper representation by the AFPOVAI. Take for instance what happened last Friday. The certification on no property which we secured, dated 05 April 2022, for one lot owner (who happens to be among the first eight to be processed), was issued to our AFPOVAI Collection and Liaison Officer, Mark Mangaoang, on the strength of an SPA prepared by AFPOVAI Legal Officer Atty Marisol Boiser and promptly signed by the concerned lot owner on the very day DENR resumed the processing of our applications. 

So instead of Ph 678 lot owners going to the Assessor’s Office with affidavits of no-property, a task which some of you might find difficult, AFPOVAI will be doing it in your behalf – but in small numbers and in group orders. The Assessor’s Office eschews bulk transactions. 

In this regard, we will be preparing pro-forma SPAs to be sent electronically for your e-signatures, should you agree. But we will have to first seek the approval of the DENR and the Assessor’s Office on its acceptability. Our legal officer will also need to review the proper implementation of electronic signature laws and regulations, considering several use cases requiring traditional “wet” signatures, particularly covering real properties. Additionally, minimal SPA processing fees will apply. (The Phase 678 officers will be meeting this week on this particular requirement.) 

However, and in the meantime, if you’re from within and around Manila, you may already proceed directly to the Assessor’s Office of Taguig and submit your own requests. The resulting certification only costs P50 and the documentary stamp, P40. Then you may submit the certification to Mark at the AFPOVAI Office or send it by mail. That would save us time.

Now as to the case of a deceased applicant, the person whose name appears in the deed of extra-judicial settlement must be the one to file the request at the City Assessor’s Office. Once the ensuing certification is forwarded to DENR, as contained in the checklist, the Department will cross check and match the applicant’s name with the deceased principal. It follows that the supporting documents, including signed SPAs of the surviving spouse or heir/s or designated representatives of the heir/s, must be included, e.g. death certificate, birth certificate, or marriage certificate, etc… DENR is quite strict in the way deeds of sale are processed in favor of the legal heirs.

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Thanks, Sir Larry. Malapit na ito. Sir Ernie, appreciate your trust and confidence, pero abang lang po doon sa guidance on the application of e-signatures since they would be covering the highly sensitive matter of real property transaction. 

Dante, yes, good thing you asked. You should use your designated AFPOVAI phase, block and lot address in your application for certification on no property with the Taguig Assessor’s Office. 

Sir Lito, on your question about the individual surveyor’s report, it is not the same as the approved survey plan in number 2. The surveyor’s report is part of the final validation of the lots prior to the preparation of corresponding deeds of sale. There are different investigations undertaken in various stages of the 20-step process, from the initial interview stage up to the point prior to the filing of the final reports by investigators, examiners and surveyors on each individual lot application. 

The certification on no improvements on the lot is a requirement that comes with the scheduled visit by the examiner or surveyor at the subject lot location to finally ascertain the actual condition of the land and the improvements made thereon, if any.  Such inspection of the property cannot be completed without the inspector rechecking and finally noting the physical property dimensions and without lot owner and the examiner posing at or beside the real property for a confirmation photo. This was the kind of requirement I objected to last Friday in view of the continuing “military occupation” by the Navy of our Ph 678 area (pun intended).                         

I thus requested such requirement to be revised since not only would all Ph 678 lot owners be unable to comply as the activity would not be allowed by the Navy golf course management, but also on the very account of their individual situations.  As a result, those who may not be able to visit the PNGC for acceptable reasons are now allowed to resort to the use of SPAs. Those who still have the ability to come like the first eight may however proceed, together with the DENR investigator on schedule.  The first eight were fortunate kasi they managed to enter and pose within the periphery of the 18th hole, which became their symbolic lot area. 

In any case, the surveyor’s report is DENR’s concern, Sir Lito.

Good morning po.

Initial documentary expenses for FULLY PAID lot owners 

1. Cert. Of No property + Doc stamps= php100

2. Resurvey plan/lot computation = php80

3. Notarial fees for Affidavit of No improvement & SPA = php500

4. 2 pcs Doc stamps for DENR appln form and affidavit of posting of applicant = php100

Total = php780

For lot owners who are partially paid and no payment, there MIGHT be additional documents to be required by DENR which we don’t know yet.