The Land Management Bureau (LMB) and the Land Registration Authority (LRA) are working on linking together their respective land information databases as they aim to provide the public a seamless and worry-free land-related transactions in the coming months.

A joint memorandum circular is now being drafted that would allow both agencies to link together their land information databases using a software intermediary called Application Programming Interface (API).

API will connect the LMB’s Land Administration and Management System (LAMS) with the LRA’s Philippine Land Registration and Information System (PHILARIS).

LMB is the agency responsible for providing direction and technical support to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) field offices on land management and administration, while the LRA is an attached agency of the Department of Justice that handles the registration and transfer of land titles issued through administrative and judicial proceedings.

LMB Director Emelyne Talabis said the data-sharing innovation is part of the government’s intensified efforts to cut red tape and improve the quality of frontline services to the public, pursuant to Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

"The new system will relieve land title applicants from directly requesting and submitting land records from each agency as part of the verification and registration requirements," Talabis said.

"This will significantly reduce turnaround time in the processing of land transactions," she added.

Under the planned online data-sharing system, applicants -- through accredited geodetic engineers -- will no longer need to personally request and submit necessary requirements, such as lot status certification from the LRA as requirement for the verification and approval of survey plans and issuance of patents by the DENR.

The geodetic engineers will also no longer need to submit the technical description hard copy of DENR-approved plans to LRA when registering subdivision surveys as a prerequisite to the issuance of land title certificates.

"With the implementation of the data linkage eliminating manual submission of documents, not only will the efficiency of land transaction processes be improved, it will also help reduce physical contacts from clients as required under the so-called 'new normal' brought about by the COVID-19 crisis," Talabis said.

She added that using the API and following the agreed specified system protocols and format, acquiring data from LAMS and PHILARIS can be done without physically accessing the database servers and compromising data security of each agency.