Survey Meanings

In Real Estate Brokerage Practice, most of the practitioners are not aware of the meanings behind survey initials and it's implication to torrens title in the Philippines. Here are the basic intials used in  survey plans;

1. CAD - Cadastral Survey. It is a survey conducted by the Bureau of Lands (now DENR) in a large area including townsite and its suburb. The survey includes titled lands and untitled lands. Each lot will be numbered  as Lot 1, Lot 2, etc. When you see in a title, Lot 1, Cad. 695(this number will vary), it is a cadastral survey. The main objective of this survey is for taxation purposes.
2. Csd - This is a subdivision survey of Cadastral Lot. If a cadastral lot is not yet titled and the owner will subdivide it into sub-lots, the resulting survey is Csd.  Csd survey can be executed by either a Private Geodetic Engineer or Geodetic Engineer from the DENR.
3. Psd - Is a subdivision survey of a titled properties. All Psd surveys are conducted by a Private Geodetic Engineer. 
4. Bsd - Is a subdivision survey on government titled properties conducted by a Government Geodetic Engineer. If a private titled land is being surveyed by a Government Geodetic Engineer thru court order, the resulting survey is a Bsd.
5. Psu - is a survey on original land (not yet surveyed) by a private Geodetic Engineer. This kind of survey will be used by titling thru judicial proceedings (means thru court order).
6. Psu-Amend. - is a subdivision survey of Psu survey. This survey means that the Psu lots are not yet titled.
7. FP - Free Patent survey. It is an original survey on agricultural land conducted by a Private Geodetic Engineer for a purpose of titling thru Administrative Proceedings (means thru the DENR). Free Patent surveys is only 5 hectares or less.
8. H - Homestead survey. same characteristics as FP survey but the maximum area is 20 hectares or less.
9. Rs - Relocation Survey
10. Ts - Townsite survey. can be conducted by either government or private surveyor.
11. Ms - Miscellaneous sales survey. It is a survey on residential original lots. The resulting title on this is thru Administrative Proceedings.
12. Ap - Advanced plan