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Question
Facts: The City of Malabon expropriates 0.5 hectare of a 2.0 hectare mango orchard owned by Nicanor Dela Cruz for a public drainage canal on August 15, 2025. The government offers just compensation of PHP 2,800,000, calculated from nearby lands sold more than a year earlier. The owner submits two appraisals valuing the taken portion at PHP 5,600,000, based on more recent closings within the last four months, contends that the award should reflect FMV as of the date of taking. The taking deprives the remainder of substantial value due to loss of access to a feeder road, and a private appraiser estimates severance damages to the remainder at PHP 900,000. The owner seeks a court order for a total award of PHP 6,400,000 (FMV of the taken portion plus severance damages). (a) Identify the controlling doctrine governing ascertainment of just compensation in expropriation. (b) Distinguish the proper method for determining FMV on the date of taking and what elements are compensable. (c) Apply to the facts and determine the legally correct total amount of just compensation, indicating whether severance damages should be included and why.