eTitle in the Philippines: Everything you need to know

As we live in the generation of technological advancements, everything seems to be convenient and can easily be done with one click from our mobile devices. With almost anything going online, it is inevitable that even our legal papers can also be accessed online and one of these legal documents are our land titles. The Land Registration Authority (LRA) initially opened up the process for obtaining electronic titles in 2008 and making it convenient for anyone to acquire copies of their land titles. However, it may still be unknown to some of you especially new homeowners so this article will serve as your guide to know how to get electronic copy of land title in Philippines.

Read Also: How to Apply for an Original Registration of Land Title in the Philippines

What is an eTitle in the Philippines?

The digital version of the manually granted title is called an “Electronic Certificate of Title,” or “eTitle.” A land title, also known as a certificate of title, has two physical copies in the Philippines. It serves as your greatest proof of land ownership. It provides information about the land’s size and location. Additionally, each piece of land has both your legal name and a special registration number. The Registered Owner (RO) keeps the Owner’s Duplicate Copy, whereas the Original Certificate of Title is stored in the vault of the Register of Deeds (RD). These two titles have the same appearance, are printed by hand on a particular kind of paper. Original titles are now available in the Registry of Deeds’ (RD) safe digital databases thanks to the Land Titling Conversion Project of the LRA. Additionally, electronic land titles can now be created from duplicate landowners’ titles. Since then, the LRA has used the Voluntary Title Standardization Program to persuade landowners, including OFWs, to switch their duplicate copies to eTitles.

How to get your electronic title?

1. Visit the Register of Deeds (RD) or the Land Registration Authority (LRA).
2. Send a Conversion Request Form, a duplicate of the Owner’s Duplicate Certificate of Title, and any other necessary paperwork.
3. Pay the resulting processing title fee. The fees are calculated automatically by the system. When everything is in line, a new Electronic Certificate of Title, or eTitle, is generated. The title conversion process is carried out by the LRA or RD after the payment. A special title number generated by the system will be printed on the owner’s duplicate copy of the electronic land title and given to the registered owner.
4. Claim your eTitle once it is is published on a specified date. All subsequent transactions involving the land must be conducted using the new land title once the manually-issued title has been converted into an eTitle. Your previous land title will be disabled.

What are the required documents to get an e-title?

1. A copy of the presenter’s legitimate government-issued ID (such as a driver’s license, GSIS card, SSS card, HDMF card, PhilHealth card, passport, or postal ID).
2. A verified petition by the owner
3. The original owner’s copy of land title
4. Tax clearance
5. Certified true copy of the tax declaration

Once the LRA employee receives your documents, they will match or compare your duplicate copy with the original to confirm its authenticity.

The LRA will start converting your land title to an electronic land title after it has been validated. Nowadays, the procedure just requires a few days before you receive a notification that your duplicate title paperwork is prepared for pickup.

How to convert Manual titles into Electronic titles?

There are two instances where manually issued titles are converted. When you engage in a voluntary transaction with the Register of Deeds is the first instance. Voluntary transaction means you went to the Register of Deeds to have a transaction (e.g., sale, mortgage, lease) noted in the title. The RD will also transform your manually issued title into an electronic land title while processing your transaction.

The second is the Standard Conversion, or when the registered owner voluntarily requests the Register of Deeds to have his or her title changed into eTitle. Here’s the requirements for this type of conversion process.

1. Copy of a valid Government-issued ID (i.e., Driver’s License, GSIS, SSS, HDMF, PhilHealth, Passport, Postal ID) of the presenter.
2. Special Power of Attorney (SPA) if an agent is representing the registered owner.
3. For corporations, a duly notarized Secretary Certificate or Board Resolution authorizing a representative to file the conversion request with the Registry of Deeds.
4. The Owner’s Duplicate of Certificate of Title and all issued Co-owner’s Duplicate of the Certificate of Title, as the case may be.

How much does it cost to convert my land titles to eTitle?

Due to the low cost of doing so, LRA encourages registered owners to convert their manually-issued title into an eTitle.

• Entry Fee – ₱30 per entry
• Registration Fee – ₱30 for the Verified Petition; ₱120 for the SPA; ₱120 for Secretary’s Certificate or Board Resolution
• Issuance of Certificate of Title Fee – ₱60 per title issued; ₱30 per additional parcel of lot
• Issuance of Additional Copy of Certificate of Title Fee – ₱60 for the first page; ₱30 for each subsequent page 
• Annotation Fee – ₱30 per annotation
• Judicial Form Fee – ₱30 per title issued

FAQs about electronic land titles:

Can I sell my land using my eTitle?

• Yes, you can sell your land using an eTitle. The eTitle’s information is identical to that of the manually generated title. All the annotations, if any, from the previous title are also copied en toto to the eTitle. The Owner’s Duplicate Copy of the eTitle is produced using a special paper with security features and a unique system-generated title number. Your land title information has been converted from the manually issued title and is now securely recorded in the database of LRA.

Are eTitles admissible at court?

• eTitles are, in fact, admissible in court. Similar to paper titles, eTitles are printed on specialized paper that has security elements and a distinct title number produced by the system. The Revised Rules on Evidence apply when introducing eTitle as documentary evidence.

Currently, I’m abroad. Can I appoint someone to handle the conversion of my Philippine land title into an eTitle?

• Yes, you can appoint someone by signing a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) and having it attested by the proper consular officer in your current location overseas. The SPA must clearly authorize your agent to file the conversion request.

Importance of having electronic land title

Accessibility is the top reason why you should have an electronic copy of your land title. It may take days or weeks to extract information from your original land title. You must submit a request for the information and wait for its verification before the document may be released. However, this procedure now only takes a few minutes using an eTitle.

Also, an eTitle is not susceptible to alteration, fraud, or destruction. Both the original land title and its copies are written on paper. As a result, they are vulnerable to forgery or illicit modification. Additionally, these records are susceptible to brittleness over time and destruction in unforeseen situations like fires, war, and natural catastrophes. An eTitle prevents all of these terrible events.

An eTitle has the same authenticity indicators as the original land title. The unmistakable security elements of a genuine eTitle are included in this digital document, including a barcode and watermarks.