---

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 494 January 6, 1978

CREATING A SPECIAL COMMITTEE FOR THE RESETTLEMENT OF KAINGINEROS WITHIN THE MT. MAKILING FOREST RESERVE

WHEREAS, Proclamation No. 1540 dated 12 April 1976, reserves for resettlement purposes 760 hectares of public domain situated in the Municipality of Sampaloc, Province of Quezon;

WHEREAS, the said proclamation was issued for the resettlement of kaingineros within the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve at Laguna province; and

WHEREAS, it is necessary to expedite the development of the resettlement area and the establishment of its facilities to realize its purpose at the earliest possible time;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby direct and order:

1. A committee, known as Makiling Kainginero Resettlement Committee, herein known as the Committee, is hereby formally created to be composed of the representatives of the following:

a. U.P. at Los Baños	Chairman
b. Second PC Zone Commander	Member
c. Department of Agrarian Reform	Member
d. Department of Public Highways	Member
e. Department of Local Government and Community Development	Member
f. Department of Social Services and Development	Member
g. Bureau of Forest Development	Member
h. Bureau of Lands	Member
i. Department of Natural Resources	Member

The Department Secretaries, Bureau Directors and the Second PC Zone Commander shall appoint their respective representatives to the Committee with the power to replace them if necessary.

2. The functions of the Committee are:

a. Set up the general guidelines for the integrated development of the resettlement area including the development of the settlers themselves;

b. Make the development plan of the area including the establishment of the necessary facilities;

c. Clear the resettlement area of all trees and other vegetations;

d. Determine the kaingineros in Mt. Makiling to be resettled; and

e. Supervise and direct, jointly with the agencies involved in the development of the resettlement area, the construction of all facilities necessary therein.

3. The Committee is authorized to:

a. Call upon any government agency for assistance in the development of the resettlement area;

b. Disburse funds, subject to the usual government auditing and accounting requirements, for the development of the resettlement area and the operational expenses of the Committee, including the amount deposited with the University of the Philippines at Los Baños coming from the proceeds of harvested timber in the resettlement area during its development;

c. The Chairman of the Committee shall sign requests for all disbursement of funds under the disposition of the Committee; and

d. Request for appropriations and/or allotment of funds for the resettlement area and operational expenses of the Committee.

The decision of the majority of the members of the Committee relative to the development of the resettlement area and disbursement of funds thereof shall be final, subject to the approval of the President.

4. The Committee shall submit to the President a quarterly report on the accomplishments, problems and their solutions, and expenditures in the development of the resettlement area.

5. The area proclaimed as a settlement reservation under said Proclamation No. 1540 is hereby segregated and excluded from the timber concession of the International Hardwood & Veneer Company of the Philippines, holder of a timber License Agreement No. 27-A.

6. The clearing of the resettlement area of all trees, except those needed for river bank protection purposes, shall be the responsibility of the Committee.

7. The existing timber inside the resettlement area shall be harvested and the proceeds thereof shall be used for the development of the resettlement area and operational expenses of the Committee.

8. The University of the Philippines at Los Baños is hereby designated as trustee of the fund and shall disburse the same pursuant to existing government accounting and auditing procedures upon request of the Committee.

All orders, rules and regulations inconsistent herewith are hereby modified or repealed accordingly.

This Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 6th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-eight.

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation

---