Philippines Land and Property

Pacific Philippines

Land and Tax Records (Prestaciones Personales, Tributos)
Research use: Primarily for family relationships and to extend lineage beyond other existing records.

Record type: Deeds and land tenancy tax records, property assessments, estates and purchase agreements.

Time Period: 1800-present.

Content: Land holders’ and renters’ names, taxes and rent paid, dates of deeds, residence, land descriptions, fathers’ names and sometimes names of several generations of ancestors; date and mode of land acquisition (from a parent or grandparent, by dowry, or division).

Population coverage: 65%.

Reliability: Good.

Philippine land records are in government departments, municipal archives, and sometimes other offices, such as:


 * Archives Division, Record Management and Archives Office. Internet: http://www.pnm.my/motw/philippines/3national_archives.htm
 * Land Registration Commission (deeds). Internet: http://www.doj.gov.ph/agencies/lra-history.html
 * Bureau of Agrarian Reform.
 * Local land registration offices.
 * Title companies.

The Family History Library has filmed many land records from each province and indexes to the Manila Gazette that deal with land transactions.