Administration and Disposition of Certain Properties Transferred to the Republic of the Philippines

June 9, 1950

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 477

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND DISPOSITION OF PROPERTIES, INCLUDING THE PROCEEDS AND INCOME THEREOF TRANSFERRED TO THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, UNDER THE PHILIPPINE PROPERTY ACT OF 1946 AND OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. EIGHT, AND OF THE PUBLIC LANDS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON TRANSFERRED TO THE NATIONAL ABACA AND OTHER FIBERS CORPORATION UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 29 DATED OCTOBER 25, 1946 AND OF EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 99 DATED OCTOBER 22, 1947

SECTION 1. All lands which have been or may hereafter be transferred to the Republic of the Philippines in accordance with the Philippine Property Act of 1946 (Act of Congress of the United States of July 3, 1946) and Republic Act Numbered Eight and all the public lands and improvements thereon transferred from the Bureau of Lands to the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation under the provisions of Executive Order No. 29, dated October 25, 1946 and of Executive Order No. 99, dated October 22, 1947 shall be subdivided by the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation into convenient-sized lots, except such portions thereof as the President of the Philippines may reserve for the use of the National or Local governments, or for the use of corporations or entities owned or controlled by the Government. Subdivision lots primarily intended for, or devoted to, agricultural purposes shall not exceed an area of five hectares for coconut lands, ten hectares for improved abaca lands, and twelve hectares for unimproved lands, urban homesite or residential lots shall not exceed an area of one thousand square meters nor less than one hundred fifty square meters. acd

SECTION 2. Commercial and industrial lots of the public domain shall be disposed of by lease only in accordance with the provisions of Commonwealth Act No. 141, as amended. If the land is patrimonial property of the Republic of the Philippines the lease shall be in accordance with Act Numbered Three thousand thirty-eight.

SECTION 3. All lands so subdivided except commercial and industrial lots shall be sold by the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation without the sales application, publication and the public auction required in sections 24, 25 and 26 of Commonwealth Act No. 141, as amended, to persons who are qualified to acquire public agricultural lands: Provided, however, That sales of such lands heretofore made by the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation without the sales application, publication and public auction as provided in the above-mentioned sections of the Public Land Law are hereby authorized, ratified and confirmed: Provided, further, That preference shall be given first to bona fide occupants thereof on or before December 12, 1946 and second to veterans of the last war, and to members of the guerrilla organizations and other qualified persons who entered the land after December 12, 1946, but not later than December 31, 1948 and who shall be limited to the area they have actually improved and maintained: Provided, finally, That the subdivided lots which may still be unoccupied shall be disposed of by drawing lots among qualified persons who may apply for said lots.

SECTION 4. Houses and/or buildings which have been transferred to the Republic of the Philippines in accordance with the Philippine Property Act of 1946 and Republic Act Numbered Eight, shall be administered by the Director of Public Works who is hereby authorized to dispose of the same by sale at public auction to the highest bidder when no longer needed for public purposes, giving the veterans who participated in the bidding an option to equal the highest bidder. However, when such buildings are on lands which are also disposable under this Act, the sale of the land and the buildings as well as other improvements thereon shall be made by the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation as provided in sections two and three hereof.

SECTION 5. At least ten per cent of the purchase price shall be paid before the contract of sale is signed by the parties and the balance shall be paid in full or in not more than ten equal annual installments with interest at five (5%) per centum per annum on the unpaid balance.

For the purpose of this Act, the fixed price for the private sale of agricultural lands and all improvements existing thereon belonging to the Government shall be appraised and determined by a Committee to be composed of a representative of the Chairman and General Manager of the National Abaca and Other Fiber Corporation as Chairman, and representatives of the Philippine Veterans Legion and of the Provincial and/or City Assessor's Office where the property sought to be sold is situated, as members, while the private sale of urban, homesite and residential lots and all improvements existing thereon belonging to the Government shall be appraised and determined by a committee to be composed of a representative of the Chairman and General Manager of the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation as Chairman, and representatives of the Auditor General and of the Provincial and /or City Assessor where the property sought to be sold is situated as members. cd

SECTION 6. Upon the approval of this Act, any other branch or agency of the Government administering properties transferred to the Republic of the Philippines under the Philippine Property Act of 1946 and of Republic Act Numbered Eight shall immediately turn over to the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation all records, titles, plans and surveys affecting the lands described in the title and in Section One of this, including the proceeds and/or income thereof: Provided, however, That the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation shall retain for model plantations and/or experimental stations and seedling purposes a total of not exceeding two thousand five hundred hectares.

SECTION 7. The National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation shall be entitled to reimbursement for all expenses and other investments incurred in connection with the administration of the properties now subject to disposition, said amount to be taken out of the proceeds derived from the sale of all lands under this Act.

SECTION 8. Except in favor of the Government or any of its branches, units, or institutions, land acquired under the provisions of this Act or any permanent improvements thereon shall not be subject to encumbrance or alienation from the date of the award of the land or the improvements thereon and for a term of ten years from and after the date of issuance of the certificate of title, nor shall they become liable to the satisfaction of any debt contracted prior to the expiration of such period.

Any occupant or applicant of lands under this Act who transfers whatever rights he has acquired on said lands and/or on the improvements thereon before the date of the award or signature of the contract of sale, shall not be entitled to apply for another piece of agricultural land or urban, homesite or residential lot, as the case may be, from the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation; and such transfer shall be considered null and void.

SECTION 9. Except when otherwise provided, the disposition of lands under this Act shall be governed by Commonwealth Act No. 141, as amended and of Act No. 3038 of the Philippine Legislature and of the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

SECTION 10. The expenses to be incurred by the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation in the subdivision survey and disposition of these lands shall be paid by the occupants in proportion to the respective areas of the land surveyed under their respective applications. The National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation may assign or delegate the subdivision survey of said lands to duly bonded deputy public land surveyors upon written request of all the occupant-applicants within a lot to be subdivided who might have agreed with the said public land surveyor on the cost and terms of payment on account of such subdivision survey.

SECTION 11. The proceeds and income to be derived from the sale or disposition of all lands and properties under this Act after deducting the amount spent by the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation for all expenses and other investments incurred in connection with the administration of these properties shall accrue to a special fund to be made available for the disposal by the President of the Philippines for the rehabilitation of the abaca industry.

SECTION 12. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Act, and for the purpose of protecting the abaca industry, the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation is hereby authorized and empowered to supervise and have access to all the lands disposable under the provisions of this Act in so far as the rehabilitation of the abaca industry is concerned. casia

SECTION 13. The sum of Two hundred thousand pesos is hereby authorized to be appropriated from any fund in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated for the purpose of enabling the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation to accelerate the execution of the subdivision survey and the disposition of the lands authorized under this Act. This sum is in addition to the amount which may be paid or reimbursed by the respective applicants to the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation on account of the subdivision survey of their lands.

SECTION 14. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 9, 1950

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 46, No. 7, p. 2981 in July 1950