Text of the provision
Art. 523. Possession is the holding of a thing or the enjoyment of a right.
(430a)
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
Possession is the holding of a thing or the enjoyment of a right. It is a fact protected by law independently of ownership — the possessor is shielded even against the owner until the owner recovers the thing through legal process.
Questions about this provision
Related provisions
- Article 500 — Accounting on Partition.
- Article 524 — Possession Through Another.
Cases citing this article
- Mark Soledad y Cristobal vs. People of the Philippines, G.R. No. 184274, February 23, 2011 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Benny Go vs. Eliodoro Bacaron, G.R. No. 159048, October 11, 2005 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Spouses Ramon and Rosita Tan vs. Gorgonia Bantegui, et al, G.R. No. 154027, October 24, 2005 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Equatorial Realty Development, Inc. vs. Mayfair Theater, Inc, G.R. No. 133879, November 21, 2001 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Alejandro Millena vs. Clourt of Appeals & Felisa Jacob, etc, G.R. No. 127797, January 31, 2000 — 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.