An Act Amending Section Fifty-Four of Act Numbered Nine Hundred and Twenty-Six, Entitled "The Public Land Act," by More Definitely Fixing the Period of Occupation of Land Acquired as a Basis for Perfecting Title Thereto

May 19, 1909

ACT NO. 1908

AN ACT AMENDING SECTION FIFTY-FOUR OF ACT NUMBERED NINE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX, ENTITLED "THE PUBLIC LAND ACT," BY MORE DEFINITELY FIXING THE PERIOD OF OCCUPATION OF LAND ACQUIRED AS A BASIS FOR PERFECTING TITLE THERETO

SECTION 1. Subsection six of section fifty-four of Act Numbered Nine hundred and twenty-six, entitled "The Public Land Act," is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

"6. All persons who by themselves or their predecessors in interest have been in the open, continuous, exclusive, and notorious possession and occupation of agricultural public lands, as defined by said Act of Congress of July first, nineteen hundred and two, under a bona fide claim of ownership except as against the Government, for a period of ten years next preceding the twenty-sixth day of July, nineteen hundred and four, except when prevented by war or force majeure, shall be conclusively presumed to have performed all the conditions essential to a government grant and to have received the same, and shall be entitled to a certificate of title to such land under the provisions of this chapter."

SECTION 2. When this Act shall have been approved and sanctioned in accordance with section thirteen of the Act of Congress approved July first, nineteen hundred and two, entitled "An Act temporarily to provide for the administration of the affairs of civil government in the Philippine Islands, and for other purposes," such fact shall be made known by proclamation of the Governor-General of the Islands, and this Act shall take effect on the date of such proclamation.

ENACTED: May 19, 1909.