Administrative Order (A.O.) No. 5, series of 2017 was issued primarily to repeal Section 29 of A.O. No. 7, series of 2011. Under the said previous rule, the LAD  process  shall  only  proceed  until  the  issuance  of  the  Memorandum   of Valuation (MOV) in the event that there is a pending protest action. Under A.O. No. 5, series of 2017, the LAD process shall continue up to the issuance of the CLOA even in the presence of any protest action.

A.O. No. 6, series of 2017, on the other hand was issued, to suspend the operation of Pars. IV-B, IV-C, IV-E and IV-G of A.O. No. 5, series of 2017 and to subject such provisions to further studies by the Policy Review and Formulation Committee.

The provisions under review by the PRFC shall not be enforced unless the suspension is recalled by the Secretary. The other provisions of A.O. No. 5, series of 2017 remain in full force and effect.

The partial  suspension  of A.O.  No. 5, series  of 2017  notwithstanding, there is a need to clarify on the effect of any protest action on the LAD Process.

Thus, pending the completion of the review of the aforesaid provisions of A.O.  No.  5,  s.  of  2017,  any  and  all  on-going  LAD  processes  shall  continue despite  the  presence  of  any  protest  action.  It  shall  no  longer  stop  until  the issuance of the MOV, but shall proceed up to the issuance of the title in the name of the Republic of the Philippines.

This  Administrative   Order  shall  take  effect  ten  (10)  days  after  its publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.