AUTHORIZING THE CLASSIFICATION, RESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ANY LANDS OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN INTO A GRAZING RESERVE FOR LARGE-SCALE RANCHING PROJECTS.

• Number: Presidential Decree No. 619
• Sections: 11

Preamble

WHEREAS, self-sufficiency in food, particularly beef, is one

of the primary concern of the State;

WHEREAS, beef production is still low, despite the existence

of numerous pasture leases all over the country;

WHEREAS, in order to increase the supply of beef, it is

necessary to embark on large-scale ranching projects over wide grazing

lands;

WHEREAS, the Constitution authorizes the determination by

law of the size of lands of the public domain which may be developed,

held or acquired by, or leased to, any qualified individual,

corporation, or association, taking into account conservation,

ecological, and developmental requirements of the natural resources;

WHEREAS, the Constitution established area limitations for

alienable lands of the public domain, namely: agricultural, industrial

or commercial, residential, and resettlement lands, and for timber or

forest lands, but not for mineral and grazing land, and such other

classes of lands as may be provided by law.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the

Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution,

do hereby decree and order:

Section 1

SECTION 1. The President of the Philippines upon the

recommendation of the Secretary of Natural Resources shall determine,

define, designate, and reserve any lands of the public domain of any

classification, as grazing lands or large-scale ranching projects.

Section 2

SEC. 2. If, in his opinion, the public interest and the

purpose of the grazing reservation so require, the Secretary of Natural

Resources may recommend to the President such areas not available for

any kind of public land disposition or alienation, logging operations,

or mining exploration or exploitation.

Section 3

SEC. 3. The Secretary of Natural Resources may enter into a

special lease-development agreement with any qualified Filipino citizen

or corporation, sixty percent (60%) of the capital stock of which is

owned and controlled by Filipino citizens, for the development of areas

so reserved into suitable grazing lands and the utilization thereof for

large-scale ranching projects.

Section 4

SEC. 4. No individual or private corporation may held

grazing reserved in excess of 50,000 hectares.

Section 5

SEC. 5. The Secretary of Natural Resources may authorize the

developer-lessee to enter into a service contract with any foreign

entity for financial, technical, management, or other forms of

assistance, for the development and utilization of the authorized area.

Section 6

SEC. 6. The Secretary of Natural Resources shall clear

grazing reserves of settlers and occupants, reimburse them for their

improvements and livestock, and resettle them to suitable relocation

sites.

Section 7

SEC. 7. The initial sum of FIVE MILLION PESOS

(P5,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated out of the General Fund for the

above purposes: Provided, That the Department of Natural

Resources, or the agencies under the said Department, with prior

approval of the Secretary of the Department, may use saving in the

appropriations, or any portion of such appropriations as well as any

fund allocated to it, for the foregoing purposes.

Section 8

SEC. 8. The Secretary of Natural Resources shall issue the

necessary rules and regulations to implement this Decree.

Section 9

SEC. 9. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or

provisions thereof inconsistent with this Decree are hereby modified or

repealed accordingly.

Section 10

SEC. 10. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 20th day of December, in the year

of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-four.

(Sgd.)

FERDINAND E. MARCOS

President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.)

ALEJANDRO MELCHOR

Executive Secretary