Aniano Magno v. Servando Castro

Summary

This 1915 Supreme Court case established important precedent on prescriptive water rights in the Philippines. Multiple landowners sought to enjoin their upstream neighbor from altering the course of Surangi Creek and filling a natural reservoir that served their irrigation needs. The Court held that while landowners may use waters flowing through their property, they cannot alter the water course in ways that impair downstream users' prescriptive easement rights acquired through 20+ years of continuous use. The decision affirmed that prescription under Articles 409 and 545 of the Civil Code and the 1866 Law of Waters protects established water usage patterns for irrigation, balancing upstream property rights with downstream easement rights. The case demonstrates early Philippine jurisprudence protecting agricultural water rights through legal prescription principles.