2.5 DENR Administrative Order DAO 2007-29 (Revised Regulations for Land Surveys) & Technical Standards

Overview & Regulatory Scope of DENR DAO 2007-29

Issued on July 31, 2007, DENR Administrative Order No. 2007-29 (DAO 2007-29), titled "Revised Regulations on Land Surveys", serves as the technical code governing all land survey operations in the Philippines. It modernizes land survey practices by integrating electronic total stations, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), and the Philippine Reference System of 1992 (PRS92) into official land administration workflows.

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Classification of Land Surveys under DAO 2007-29

Under DAO 2007-29, land surveys executed by registered Geodetic Engineers are classified into four major categories:

1. Isolated Land Surveys (IS)

Surveys of individual or small groups of parcels of land executed for administrative titling, judicial registration, or land transaction purposes.

• Private Land Surveys (Psu): Original surveys of untitled private lands claimed by individuals.
• Subdivision Surveys (Psd / Phd): Surveys subdividing titled parcels into two or more smaller lots.
• Consolidation-Subdivision Surveys (Pcs): Combining two or more titled lots and subdividing them into new lot configurations.
• Special Work Orders (Swo): Surveys executed for specific government projects, mapping, or land dispute resolution.

2. Cadastral Land Surveys (Cad)

Systematic, comprehensive surveys of an entire municipality, city, or designated project area to establish official boundaries of all land parcels for titling and land records management.

• Cadastral Components: Control survey networks (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary), boundary monumentation of political subdivisions (PBM, MBM, BBM), lot sketching, and preparation of Cadastral Maps (CM).

3. Mineral Land Surveys (MLS)

Surveys establishing boundary lines of mining claims, quarry permits, Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSA), and Financial or Technical Assistance Agreements (FTAA) under RA 7942.

4. Forestry and Environmental Land Surveys (FLS / ELS)

Surveys defining boundaries of forest reserves, national parks, protected areas, foreshore lands, and civil reservations under DENR jurisdiction.

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Survey Monumentation Standards & Specifications

Proper monumentation is mandatory for all land surveys. DAO 2007-29 specifies precise physical dimensions, concrete compositions, and markings for survey monuments.

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Technical Description Formats & PRS92 Coordinates

The Technical Description is the exact mathematical definition of a land parcel's boundaries recorded on survey plans and certificates of title.

[Lot Identifier & Location]
Lot 1234, Cad-456, Situated in Brgy. San Jose, Municipality of Antipolo, Province of Rizal.

[Tie Line Call]
Beginning at a point marked "1" on plan, being S. 45 deg. 12' E., 1,234.56 m. from BLLM No. 1, Cad-456...

[Metes & Bounds Breakdown]
thence N. 12 deg. 34' E., 25.00 m. to corner 2;
thence S. 77 deg. 26' E., 40.00 m. to corner 3;
thence S. 12 deg. 34' W., 25.00 m. to corner 4;
thence N. 77 deg. 26' W., 40.00 m. to point of beginning.

[Area & Adjoining Calls]
Containing an area of ONE THOUSAND (1,000) SQUARE METERS, more or less.
Bounded on the N. by Lot 1235; on the E. by Road; on the S. by Lot 1233; on the W. by Creek.

Essential Elements of Technical Descriptions

1. Header: Lot number, survey plan number, location (Barangay, City/Municipality, Province, Island).
2. Tie Line: Bearing and distance connecting Corner 1 of the lot to an established geodetic reference monument (BLLM, BBM).
3. Metes and Bounds: Sequential line calls from Corner to Corner showing Bearing (Degrees, Minutes), Distance (in meters to two decimal places), and Corner Marker description.
4. Area Statement: Computed enclosed area expressed in square meters ($\text{m}^2$).
5. Datum Integration: Positioned on the Philippine Reference System of 1992 (PRS92) grid coordinates (PTM Zone).

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Verification and Approval Process by DENR-LMS

Before a land survey plan can be used for land titling at the LRA/RD, it must undergo technical verification and official approval by the DENR Land Management Services (LMS).

Workflow for Survey Returns Processing

 GE Field Survey Execution & Monumentation
                  │
                  ▼
 Submission of Survey Returns to DENR Regional Office (LMS)
 (Field notes, traverse computations, LDC, raw GNSS data, sketch plan)
                  │
                  ▼
 Technical Verification by LMS Verification Section
 (Check traverse closure, positional tolerances, overlap against Cadastral Map)
                  │
                  ▼
 Official Approval by Regional Technical Director (RTD) for Lands
                  │
                  ▼
 Projection onto Cadastral Map (CM) & Release of Approved Plan

Key LMS Technical Verification Checks

1. Angular and Linear Error of Closure: Traverse calculations must meet allowable relative precision limits (e.g., $1:5,000$ for secondary traverse control; $1:10,000$ for primary traverse control).
2. Overlap and Gap Analysis: The plan is projected digitally onto the regional Cadastral Projection Map (CM) to verify that the boundary does not overlap previously titled lands or adjoining surveys.
3. Approval Authority: Once verified, the survey plan is formally approved and signed by the Regional Technical Director (RTD) for Lands (or Regional Executive Director), rendering the survey plan an official public document.