Acquisition of Title to, and Ownership of, Portions of Agro-Forest Reserves by Certain Persons

January 14, 1983

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1859

ALLOWING PERSONS WHO HAVE AVAILED OF THE PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 926 TO ACQUIRE TITLE TO AND OWNERSHIP OF PORTIONS OF THE AGRO-FOREST RESERVES ESTABLISHED UNDER PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1768 AND ACCORDINGLY AMENDING PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1768

WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 1768 established certain areas in the Agusan Valley as agro-forest reserves; casia

WHEREAS, owners of landed estates which were acquired by the Government through voluntary agreement or through expropriation proceedings, who were to be compensated for such lands under R.A. No. 926 but had not received the full compensation agreed upon, were among those qualified to lease areas in said agro-forest reserves under the provisions of P.D. No. 1768;

WHEREAS, for reasons of equity and to accelerate the development of such lands in the Agusan Valley by private capital, it is desirable that those who have availed of the provisions of R.A. No. 926 but have not received the full compensation agreed upon shall receive title to, instead of only leasehold rights over, the lands;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and the laws, do hereby order and decree: casia

SECTION 1. Presidential Decree No. 1768 is hereby amended by inserting the following as the second paragraph to Section 2 of said Decree:

"Upon a finding by the Minister of Natural Resources that there exist valid, binding and enforceable contracts entered into by the Government prior to January 17, 1973 under the provisions of Republic Act No. 926 and that the full consideration stipulated in said contracts have not been received by the persons or entities concerned, the Minister shall issue titles, by means of special patents, to such persons or entities or their designees over such portions of the agro-forest reserves as may be applied for by them, provided that, the area of the land to be granted shall be limited to the extent of the unpaid portion of the consideration stipulated in the contracts. The portions of the agro-forest reserves as will be titled hereunder are hereby declared alienable and disposable." aisa dc

SECTION 2. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 14th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Three. cdt

            Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 79 No. 36 Page 5100 on September 5, 1983.