Director of Forestry vs Villareal

G.R. No. L-32266 February 27, 1989 THE DIRECTOR OF FORESTR, petitioner vs. R!"ERTO #. $ILL#RE#L, respondent.

DOCTRINE: F#CTS% Rupe Ruperto rto Villare Villareal al appli applied ed for for its registr registrati ation on a land land consi consisti sting ng of 178 178 11! s".#. s".#. #angrove s$a#ps located in %apian Capi& on 'anuar( )* 1+,*. -e alleged tat e and is predecessors/ in interest ad 0een in possession of te land for #ore tan , (ears. Villeareal presented a ta2 declaration as is evidence. -e $as opposed 0( several persons including te Director of 3orestr(. Te Court of 3irst Instance of Capi& approved te application and $as affir#ed 0( te Court of 4ppeals. Te Director of 3orestr( appealed to te %upre#e Court. ISS!E% 5eter or not #angrove s$a#ps are pu0lic lands and are not aliena0le under te constitution. HELD% 6es under %ection 18) of te 4d#inistrative Code of 1+17 $ic $as not a#ended declares tat #angrove s$a#ps for# part of te pu0lic forest of te countr(. SECTION 1820. Words and Phrases Defined. – For the purposes of this hapter! "pu#$i  forest% in$udes! e&ept as other'ise speia$$( indiated! a$$ unreser)ed pu#$i $and in$udin*  nipa and +an*ro)e s'a+ps and a$$ forest reser)es of 'hate)er harater. -ence te land in dispute in not aliena0le under te Constitution and #a( not 0e te su0ect of private o$nersip until and unless te( are first released as forest land and classified as aliena0le agricultural land.