National Reserve Areas.
Article 15
ART. 15. National Reserve Areas.—Areas which have been included in any Exploration or Exploitation Conces-sion but which have been subsequently given up by the concessionaire voluntarily or in accordance with the requirement of articles fifty and fifty-three of this Act; or areas covered by Exploration or Exploitation Concession which have expired or have been cancelled; or areas which have been included within any of the two kinds of concession but which are found to be in excess the maximum areas allowed by this Act for such concessions, are called National Reserve Areas, and as such may be applied either for Exploration or Exploitation Concession by duly qualified persons only after the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources shall have first announced by means of notices published in the Official Gazette and in one daily English newspaper of general circulation published in the City of Manila, at least once a month for three consecutive months, that said lands duly described are ready for disposition and that application therefor may be filed within a certain date fixed in the notice. Application for such areas shall be filed with the Director of Mines in accordance with article twenty-eight of this Act, and the concession may be granted by the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources It favor of the applicant whose offer shall be found best t serve the interest of the Government.