Preamble
WHEREAS, the coal development program envisioned in Presidential Decree No.972, otherwise known as the "Coal Development Act of 1076" encourages the participation of the private sector with adequate and sufficient financial, technical and managerial resources to undertake a work program to effectively explore, develop and exploit indi-genous coal resources calculated yield maximum benefit to the Filipino people and revenues to the Philippine gov-ernment and assure just and fair returns to the partici¬pating private enterprises; WHEREAS, in line with the policy of the Government to encourage and accelerate exploration and development of indigenous resources and in the light of current condi¬tions in the coal industry, it is imperative that Presiden¬tial Decree No. 972 be amended granting additional in¬centives to coal operators participating in the coal dev¬elopment program; WHEREAS, in order that coal operations should not be unnecessarily hampered and snagged by the difficulties and delays in securing surface rights under existing laws and regulations for the entry into, access to or occupation of private lands, it is necessary to provide a just and equi-table system of rights acquisition and use by coal opera¬tors which would also give incentives and protection to private landowners and occupants; Now, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the Philippines, do hereby decree and declare as part of the law of the land the following: