SECTION 1. Section One hundred seven of Commonwealth Act Numbered One
hundred forty-one, otherwise known as the Public Land Act, as amended,
is further amended to read as follows:
"SEC 107. All patents or certificates for land granted under this Act
shall be prepared in the Bureau of Lands and shall be issued in the
name of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines under the
signature of the President of the Philippines: Provided, however, That
the President of the Philippines may delegate to the Minister of
Natural Resources and/or the Deputy Minister the power to sign patents
or certificates covering lands not exceeding one hundred forty-four
hectares in area: Provided, further, That the Director of Lands
is empowered to sign patents or certificates covering lands not
exceeding ten hectares, and District Land Officers in every province are
hereby empowered to sign patents or certificates covering lands not
exceeding six hectares in area when the Office of the District Land
Officer is properly equipped to carry out the purposes of this Act: Provided,
furthermore, That no applicant shall be permitted to split the
area applied for by him in excess of the are fixed in this Section among
his relatives within the sixth degree of consanguinity of affinity
excepting the applicant's married children who are actually occupying
the land: Provided, finally, That copies of said patents shall
be furnished the Bureau of Lands for record purposes. No patent or
certificate shall be issued by the District Land Officer unless the
survey of the land covered by said patent or certificate, whether made
by the Bureau of Lands or by private surveyor, has been approved by the
Director of Lands. The Director of Lands shall promptly act upon all
surveys submitted to him for approval and return the same to the
District Land Officer within ninety days after receipt of such surveys
by his Office. The Director of Lands shall state the reasons for any
action taken by him thereon. It shall be the duty of the District Land
Officer to act on the matter or transmit the records of the case, with
his action thereon, to interested parties within thirty days after
receipt of the records from the Director of Lands or the Regional
Director. Any person aggrieved by the decision or action of the District
Land Officer may, within thirty days from receipt of the copy of the
said decision, appeal to the Director of Lands. Such patents or
certificates shall be effective only for the purposes defined in Section
One hundred twenty-two of the Land Registration Act, and actual
conveyance of the land shall be effected only as provided in said
Section.
"All surveys pending approval by the Director of Lands at the time
this Act takes effect shall be acted upon by him within ninety days from
the effectivity of this Act."