The annotation of a Contract to Sell (CTS) or a Real Estate Mortgage (REM) on a Philippine land title is one of the most common transactions in any Registry of Deeds. Both instruments are registered and annotated even though neither transfers ownership — the purpose is to give public notice and protect the rights of the buyer (in CTS) or the creditor (in REM) against third parties.

This article exhaustively covers the legal basis, registrability, procedural requirements, and — most importantly — the exact Register of Deeds fees currently being collected nationwide as of November 2025 under the prevailing LRA schedule of fees (consolidated and standardized since the full implementation of the Land Registration Authority’s computerized system and the latest circulars issued in 2023–2025).

I. Legal Framework Governing Annotation

Presidential Decree No. 1529 (Property Registration Decree) – particularly Sections 51, 54, 56, 57, 59, and 113
Civil Code of the Philippines – Arts. 1544 (double sale), 2085 (essential requisites of pledge/mortgage), 2125 (mortgage registration requirement)
Land Registration Authority Circulars (particularly the Revised Schedule of Fees effective 2023 onwards and the full computerization rules under the PhilLRIS project)
Republic Act No. 11032 (Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act) – mandates maximum 3–5 working days processing time for these transactions

II. Annotation of Contract to Sell (CTS)

Is a Contract to Sell registrable/annotatable?

Yes, and it is routinely annotated in every Registry of Deeds in the Philippines.

Although a CTS does not transfer ownership (it remains with the seller until full payment and execution of the Deed of Absolute Sale), the Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized that annotation of the CTS on the title protects the buyer in case of double sale (Art. 1544, Civil Code). The buyer with the annotated CTS is preferred over a subsequent buyer who registers a Deed of Absolute Sale later, even if the subsequent buyer is in good faith (see G.R. No. 212904, Heirs of Pacencia Racaza v. Gojub, March 10, 2021; G.R. No. 228240, Spouses Reyes v. Spouses Chung, June 23, 2020, and numerous earlier cases).

The LRA itself allows and encourages annotation of notarized Contracts to Sell. The standard annotation entry reads:

“Contract to Sell dated ________ executed by (Vendor/s) in favor of (Vendee/s) for the sum of Php __________, Doc. No. ___, Page No. ___, Book No. , Series of 20 of Notary Public __________, per Entry No. ______.”

Required Documents for CTS Annotation

Original notarized Contract to Sell (and copies)
Owner’s duplicate certificate of title (original)
Two (2) valid government-issued IDs of the seller and buyer (or authorized representatives + SPA)
Proof of payment of current real property tax (Tax Clearance or certified true copy of Tax Declaration)
Special Power of Attorney if signed by representative
Payment of Register of Deeds fees (paid at ROD cashier)

III. Annotation of Real Estate Mortgage (REM)

A Real Estate Mortgage is registrable under Art. 2125 of the Civil Code: it is void against third persons unless registered.

Registration of the REM causes the automatic annotation of the mortgage lien on the face of the title. The standard annotation reads:

“Mortgage in favor of (Mortgagee) for the principal sum of Php __________, with interest at ___% per annum, executed on __________, Doc. No. ___, Page No. ___, Book No. , Series of 20 of Notary Public __________, per Entry No. ______.”

Required Documents for REM Annotation

Same as CTS, plus:

BIR Certificate Authorizing Registration (CAR) evidencing payment of Documentary Stamp Tax on the REM
If the mortgage is with a bank or financing company, the bank usually handles the registration and shoulders the ROD fees

IV. Current Register of Deeds Fees (as of November 2025)

The fees below are uniform nationwide because of full computerization (PhilLRIS). There are no longer significant variations between provincial and Metro Manila RODs except for very minor local clearance fees in some LGUs (usually P100–P300).

A. Transactions that DO NOT involve cancellation of old title and issuance of new title in the name of a transferee (i.e., CTS annotation, REM annotation, lease annotation, lis pendens, notice of attachment, etc.)

These are classified as “Secondary Entry/Annotation with issuance of new Owner’s Duplicate Certificate of Title due to computerization.”

Current fees (2023–2025 consolidated schedule):

Item	Amount (Php)
Registration/Annotation Fee (base)	4,180.00
Computerization Fee / PhilLRIS Fee / IT Fee	1,870.00
Legal Research Fund (LRF) – per title	100.00
Issuance of new Owner’s Duplicate Certificate of Title (computerized)	880.00
Scanning/Upload Fee per document	440.00
Certification Fee (if annotated title is certified)	220.00
Additional per extra page of instrument beyond five (5) pages	55.00 per page
Additional per additional title affected (condominium projects, multiple titles)	Multiply the base fees by the number of titles

Typical total cost (2025 rates) for a single-title property:

Contract to Sell annotation (5-page document or less): Php 7,690.00 – Php 8,500.00
Real Estate Mortgage annotation (standard bank REM form): Php 8,500.00 – Php 10,500.00
High-value or multi-page REMs (e.g., 15 pages): can reach Php 11,000 – Php 13,000

B. When the mortgage or CTS covers multiple titles (very common in condominium units or subdivision lots bought in bulk)

Fees are multiplied by the number of titles.

Example: Pag-IBIG or bank foreclosure package with 10 condominium units → total ROD fee approximately Php 80,000–Php 100,000.

C. Other incidental fees sometimes collected (still part of ROD fees)

Express Lane Fee (optional, for same-day or next-day release): Php 1,000 – Php 2,000 (allowed in some RODs)
Courier fee for delivery of annotated title (if availed through LRA’s eSerbisyo portal): Php 300–Php 500

V. Comparison Table: CTS vs REM Annotation Fees (Single Title, Standard Document)

Description	Contract to Sell	Real Estate Mortgage
Registration/Annotation base fee	4,180	4,180
PhilLRIS/IT Fee	1,870	1,870
New Owner’s Duplicate issuance	880	880
Scanning fee	440	440
LRF	100	100
Typical total (5 pages or less)	7,690 – 8,200	8,500 – 10,500
DST (paid to BIR, not ROD)	Usually none	Required (P30 per P5,000 or fraction of loan amount, or higher for bank loans under TRAIN Law)

VI. Processing Time (as of 2025)

Regular lane: 3–5 working days (RA 11032 compliance)
Express lane (with additional fee): same-day or next-day release in most computerized RODs (Quezon City, Makati, Manila, Taguig, Cebu, Davao, etc.)

Many RODs now accept online appointment and payment via the LRA eSerbisyo portal (https://lra.gov.ph/eserbisyo), allowing the applicant to upload documents and pay online, then just appear for submission of originals and claiming of the annotated title.

VII. Practical Tips

Always bring the original owner’s duplicate title. Without it, the ROD will require publication and court authority (very expensive and slow).
For bank mortgages, the bank almost always processes the annotation and shoulders the ROD fees.
For developers selling via CTS, they usually batch-process hundreds of titles and pay the fees in bulk.
Fees are the same whether the title is still manual (very rare now) or computerized — the only difference is that computerized titles always get a new printed owner’s duplicate upon any annotation.
The fees stated above have been stable since the 2023 consolidation and are not expected to change until 2027 unless a new LRA circular is issued.

The annotation of a Contract to Sell or a Real Estate Mortgage remains one of the most cost-effective ways to protect substantial financial interests in Philippine real property. At an average cost of only Php 8,000–Php 10,000 per title, it provides iron-clad protection against third-party claims and double sales — making it an indispensable step in any financing or installment sale transaction.