Establishment and Reversion of Mineral Reservations.
SEC. 6. Establishment and Reversion of Mineral Reservations. - Upon the recommendation of the Secretary, based on the reports submitted by the Director, the President may set aside and establish an area of the public domain as a mineral reservation and prescribe the terms and conditions for its disposition and operation, or may also alter or modify the boundaries of any mineral reservation from time to time or revert any mineral reservation to the public domain without prejudice to any prior subsisting rights.
Existing Claims in Reservation.
SEC. 7. Existing Claims in Reservation. - Whenever lands are reserved for purposes other than mining, the rights of the claimowners or lessees of valid mining claims existing within the reservation at the time of its establishment shall not be prejudiced or impaired.
Exploration and Exploitation of Reserved Lands.
SEC. 8. Exploration and Exploitation of Reserved Lands. - When lands within reservations, which have been established for purposes other than mining, are found to be more valuable for their mineral contents, they may, upon recommendation of the Secretary be withdrawn from such reservation by the President and established as a mineral reservation.
When practicable, prospecting and exploration of minerals in reserved lands may be undertaken by the Bureau of Mines or by any proper government agency. Said reservation shall be opened to mining by the Government or its instrumentality or by any qualified person through competitive bidding under such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Secretary, or through contracts of service with any party or parties, domestic or foreign, duly qualified as to organization, finances, resources, experience and technical competence, subject in any case to the approval of the President.
In the event that the proper government agencies cannot undertake the prospecting and exploration of minerals in the reserved lands, qualified persons or corporations may be permitted to undertake such prospecting and exploration in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary. The right to exploit therein shall be awarded by the President under such terms and conditions as recommended by the Director and approved by the Secretary, Provided, That the persons or corporations who undertook prospecting and exploration of said area shall be given priority.
SEC. 9. Reservation Closed to Mining Location. -Mineral reservations are closed to mining location; Provided, however, That the Government may, prospect, develop and exploit such reservations, through its agencies or instrumentalities or through an independent contractor selected by negotiated contract or after a public bidding which shall be conducted by the Secretary through the Director after proper notice duly published, subject in any case to the approval of the President.
Offshore Areas Established as Mineral Reservation.
SEC. 10. Offshore Areas Established as Mineral Reservation. - All submerged lands beneath the territorial waters and on the continental shelf or its analogue in an archipelago, are hereby established as mineral reservations subject to existing rights and the President may declare these reservations, or parts thereof, open or closed to mining location to be disposed of in the same manner as other mineral reservations. Submerged lands are those under water during low tide as determined by the Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey.
Source: Supreme Court E-Library, Republic of the Philippines. Philippine laws are public documents (works of the government).
