Once upon a time, two college students in Metro Manila got into a fistfight — let’s call them A and B. A threw a punch. B fell, hit his head on the curb, and was knocked unconscious. The school rushed him to the hospital, and eventually, he recovered — or so everyone thought. Years later, it turned out B suffered permanent brain damage. His family decided to sue the school, not A, arguing that the incident happened within school grounds. And instead of filing in Metro Manila

A notary public is an officer of the court empowered to verify that a document was signed voluntarily and by the person whose name appears on it. Once a document bears a notarial seal, it gains a presumption of authenticity. By law, notarization is an act of acknowledgment that the person appeared before the notary, presented valid identification, and signed the document in the notary’s presence–just like how PH documents are consularized abroad. In practice, however, notariz

Breaking: Banks tighten scrutiny on large payments — even to the BIR. In the aftermath of the flood control fund controversy, banks are suddenly becoming more cautious — even with legitimate government transactions. Sources report that Landbank now requires anyone depositing more than P500,000 — including tax payments to the BIR — to disclose extensive personal details: the names, addresses, birthdates, birthplaces, professions, and occupations of both the buyer and seller. I

When Lawyers Are Involved The moment a lawyer steps into a transaction, things often become more complex. And there’s a reason for that:...

Three months in — here’s our honest verdict after using ChatGPT daily in real estate. How We Actually Use It 1.⁠ ⁠Meeting Minutes Type...

A man once bought a hillside lot—his dream perch overlooking the glittering city below. Every morning, he imagined coffee on the veranda,...

Thought of the day: For nearly a decade now, rental rates in Metro Manila’s central business districts have been locked in the same...

Did you know that a land title can actually exist in more than one copy—with each co-owner holding their own? Under Presidential Decree...

Here’s a little-known quirk about subdivisions in the Philippines: Once a developer finishes building a village, they sometimes donate...

BROKER: A client is asking if real estate prices will go down anytime soon because of the current political unrest. Any thoughts? JPRE:...