Acquisition of Jacinto Estate in Nueva Ecija ( Letter of Instructions No. 370 )

February 3, 1976

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 370

 

WHEREAS, as already stated in LOI 253, Nueva Ecija has been designated since 1972 as a pilot province for land reform integrated development program with emphasis on land tenure improvement, institutional development, physical development, and agricultural development;

WHEREAS, as part of this integrated approach to land reform in the said province, the Jacinto Estate situated in the municipality of Talavera, Province of Nueva Ecija, and embraced in TCT Nos. NT-78030, NT-78031 and NT-78032 of the Registry of Deeds for Nueva Ecija, has been chosen by the Department of Agrarian Reform since 1973 as a Pilot Land Consolidation Project of the Agrarian Reform Program of the Government, the principal features of which are: the promotion of joint farming and multiple croppings with sets of standards on rice culture, and the development of institutions such as compact farms and cooperatives designed to substantially increase the farm family's income;

WHEREAS, the acquisition of the entire area of the aforesaid Jacinto Estate is necessary for the successful implementation of the land consolidation project;

WHEREAS, one of the co-owners of the Jacinto Estate is Mr. Fernando Jacinto who together with his sons, as stated in LOI No. 39 dated November 9, 1972, ". . . have refused to come back to the Philippines notwithstanding . . . repeated requests to settle their obligations to the Government which may amount to about P400 million . . .", and in order to protect the interest of the Government, the Secretary of National Defense has been ". . . directed to immediately take over custody and possession of all assets of the Jacinto Family . . .", which includes, among others, the pro-indiviso share of said Mr. Fernando Jacinto in the Jacinto Estate.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, do hereby order.

1. The Secretary of Agrarian Reform to carry out a land consolidation scheme within the project area and allocate the farmlots as well as the homelots in accordance with the integrated development plan for this project. CAIHTE

2. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Land Bank and the President of the Land Bank to finance under any of the recognized modes of settlement mentioned in P.D. No. 251, the acquisition of the entire area of the aforementioned Jacinto Estate: Provided, that the tenant-farmers and the farmer's cooperative in which they are members shall amortize the repayment to the Land Bank of the total cost of the Estate pursuant to P.D. No. 27 and other related decrees or orders: Provided, further, that in the retitling of the lands thus acquired such arrangement to be effected shall always give due regard to the rights conferred upon the tenant-farmers as owners of the land they till pursuant to P.D. No. 27, the area of the farmlot and the homelot, however, shall be in accordance with the land consolidation scheme and integrated development plan for this pilot project.

3. The Secretary of National Defense to sign for the Government any deed or Instrument that may be required by the Land Bank in the acquisition of the pro-indiviso share of Mr. Fernando Jacinto in the aforesaid Jacinto Estate.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 3rd day of February, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-six.