I had the original title of a subdivision my mom bought. I thought it was enough to prove my mom owns it when I was fixing her estate. Turns out, it isn't. Let me tell you my story.
Like everyone else, I cannot travel to the Philippines due to pandemic restrictions. My friends and relatives are helping me fix her estate paperwork little by little and I just oversee them from afar by giving to-do-lists. One requirement is to give the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) copies of her properties. I said, one of the properties is easy. I know where the original title for a provincial subdivision is. All they have to do is to get a certified true copy from a notary public. Wrong!
It turns out BIR will only accept certified true copies from the Land Regulatory Commission or (LRA) office that officially handles where the land is located. My mom's land were in Quezon City and in Quezon Province. That means we have to get LRA copies from two offices. That also means my original title is of no use.
LRA Certified True Copy printed on Special Paper
The LRA official copy looks like the one shown in the picture. It says "Land Registration Authority CCV Form: Unofficial Copy if not in Blue Color." If you'll look closely at the borders, there are faint blue lines on them and LRA added more information at the bottom. This is the recognized copy that proves ownership in the Philippines.
Believe me, the kind of paper where they print the certified to true copy is important. Why? Because when my cousin went to LRA in Lucena, they ran out of that special paper and had to turn down everyone. Everyone who travelled going there in spite of the quarantine limitations. Everyone who traveled from distant provinces. Everyone who shelled out a double fare. All of them were angry and demanding that they get their copies BUT the LRA office had to say no because they did not have that special paper. Without it, their copies are not official.
Original Title is Not Enough
So what if you have the original title? Well, you have to check the local LRA to see if it is still the official copy. Like me, it is not enough that you have the original title. You have to get the officially recognized document of BIR---which is the copy from LRA.
My mother was also the co-owner of a developing farmland in Lopez, Quezon. Somebody got the original title from my brother and never gave it back. It somehow went into the hands of another person. They mistakenly thought they have some kind of right or ownership with that title for one reason or another. Well, it turns out, based on our experience, they are wrong. The LRA copy trumps the original title. It makes sense. Now, changing the names on the title is another story.