- Statute
- Philippine Civil Code
- Article
- Art. 420
- Topic
- Property in Relation to the Person to Whom It Belongs
- Status
- In force
- Book
- BOOK II PROPERTY, OWNERSHIP, AND ITS MODIFICATIONS
- Title
- TITLE I CLASSIFICATION OF PROPERTY PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
- Chapter
- CHAPTER 3 Property in Relation to the Person to Whom It Belongs
- Formerly
- Art. 339a of the old Civil Code
- Year
- 1949
- Cited by
- Multiple Supreme Court decisions
The provision
The following things are property of public dominion: (1) Those intended for public use, such as roads, canals, rivers, torrents, ports and bridges constructed by the State, banks, shores, roadsteads, and others of similar character; (2) Those which belong to the State, without being for public use, and are intended for some public service or for the development of the national wealth. (339a)
Intellegal Wiki · In plain terms
Property of public dominion is of two kinds: things intended for public use — roads, canals, rivers, torrents, ports, bridges, banks, shores and the like — and things the State owns without their being for public use, held for a public service or for developing the national wealth. The classification carries consequences. Under Article 1113 property of the State that is not patrimonial cannot be the object of prescription, so no length of possession privately acquires it. Article 421 makes all other State property patrimonial, and Article 422 provides that property of public dominion becomes patrimonial once it is no longer intended for public use or public service.
An editorially maintained plain-language explanation of this provision — not legal advice.
Cases applying this article
- Republic of the Philippines v. Arcadio Ivan A. Santos III G.R. No. 160453
- Maximo Jagualing v. Court of Appeals (Fifteenth Division) G.R. No. 94283
- Virginia Y. Gochan v. Charles Mancao G.R. No. 182314
- Jose Fernando, Jr. v. Fernando G.R. No. 161030
- Frisco F. Domalsin v. Spouses Juanito Valenciano G.R. No. 158687
- Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) v. Central Board of Assessment Appeals G.R. No. 178030
- Manila International Airport Authority v. City of Pasay G.R. No. 163072
- Philippine Fisheries Development Authority v. The Honorable Court of Appeals G.R. No. 150301
Other Supreme Court decisions also apply this article.