Text of the provision
Art. 462. Whenever a river, changing its course by natural causes, opens a new bed through a private estate, this bed shall become of public dominion.
(372a)
Civil Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 386, approved June 18, 1949, effective August 30, 1950. Reproduced in full; verified verbatim against the LawPhil and ChanRobles official-text renderings.
What this article means
When a river opens a new bed through a private estate by natural causes, that new bed becomes property of public dominion — because running waters and their beds are public.
Questions about this provision
Related provisions
- Article 461 — Abandoned River Beds.
- Article 463 — Isolated Land by a River Branch.
Cases citing this article
- Spouses Beder Morandarte, et al. vs. Court of Appeals, et al, G.R. No. 123586, August 12, 2004 — read the decision on LawPhil →
Compiled automatically from Supreme Court decisions published on LawPhil that expressly cite this article, most frequently cited first. A listing means the decision cites the provision — it is not a statement that the case is the leading authority, and it does not show whether a ruling has since been modified or abandoned. Always read the decision itself.