Preamble
WHEREAS, efforts of the Government to encourage and accelerate the development of our mineral resources have been hampered by difficulties and delays in the settlement of conflicting mining claims because of obsolete laws, rules and regulations; WHEREAS, in order to hasten the exploitation and development of our mineral resources conflicting mining claims must be settled promptly and decisively; and WHEREAS, in order to achieve this it is deemed necessary to update and amend these laws, rules and regulations; NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No. .1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, as amended, do hereby order and decree, as part of the law of the land, the following: