SECTION 1. The provisions of any law, rules or regulations to the contrary notwithstanding, any citizen of the Philippines who is not a registered owner of a residential land in the same municipality and who, since June 12, 1945 or prior thereto, either by himself or through his bona fide predecessor-in-interest, has been actually residing on, and continuously possessing and occupying, under a bona fide claim of acquisition of ownership, a parcel of residential land of the public domain, which is alienable or disposable, and who has paid all the real estate taxes thereon since June 12, 1945 or prior thereto, shall, upon application, be entitled to have a free patent issued to him for such parcel of land not to exceed three thousand square meters: Provided, That the land applied for is not needed for the public service or public use: Provided, further, That no free patent shall be issued for residential lands located in cities, in capitals of provinces, in first class, second class, third class, and fourth class municipalities, and in townsite reservations established under Chapter XI of the Public Land Act: Provided, finally, That none of the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 705 are violated by the issuance of such patent.

SECTION 2. The application shall be accompanied with a map and technical description of the land applied for, along with supporting affidavits of two (2) disinterested persons who are residents of the municipality where the land is located, attesting to the truth of the facts contained in the application to the effect that the applicant thereof has, either by himself or through his predecessor-in-interest, actually resided on and continuously possessed and occupied, under a bona fide claim of acquisition of ownership, the land applied for since June 12, 1945 or prior thereto, and has complied with the requirements prescribed in Section One hereof.

All applications for free patent under this Act shall be filed on or before December 31, 1987.