MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
[ Proclamation No. 978, March 10, 1997 ]
AMENDING LETTER OF INSTRUCTION 917-A DATED SEPTEMBER 7, 1979 BY DECLARING CERTAIN PARCELS OF LAND OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND ITS COASTAL WATERS COVERING NORTHERN SIERRA MADRE SITUATED IN THE MUNICIPALITIES OF PALANAN, DIVILACAN, MACONACON AND PORTIONS OF SAN PABLO, CABAGAN, TUMAUINI, ILAGAN, SAN MARIANO AND DINAPIGUE, ALL IN THE PROVINCE OF ISABELA AS PROTECTED AREA UNDER THE CATEGORY OF NATURAL PARK.
Upon recommendation of the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources and pursuant to the authority vested in me by law, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, do hereby set aside and declare certain parcels of land of the public domain and its coastal waters covering Northern Sierra Madre situated in the Municipalities of Palanan, Divilacan, Maconacon, and portions of San Pablo, Cabagan, Tumauini, Ilagan, San Mariano and Dinapigue, all in the Province of Isabela, subject to prior private rights, if any, as Protected Area under the category of Natural Park, subject to ground verification.
The technical descriptions which follow natural topographic features (river banks, ridges, mountain peaks) provided hereunder are based on a table survey and therefore subject to ground survey and verification to be conducted by DENR, for which additional funds are to be requested for the purpose from the Department of Budget and Management.
Beginning at a point marked 1 on the map which is a point located at the Provincial Boundary of Isabela and Cagayan province:
| POINT |
LONGITUDE |
LATITUDE |
POINT |
LONGITUDE |
LATITUDE |
| 1 |
122-1123” |
17-3223” |
42 |
122-1252” |
16-4925” |
| 2 |
122-1115” |
17-3116” |
43 |
122-1121” |
16-4816” |
| 3 |
122-1014” |
17-2943” |
44 |
122-1053” |
16-4629” |
| 4 |
122-1035” |
17-2826” |
45 |
122-1047” |
16-4417” |
| 5 |
122-1122” |
17-2844” |
46 |
122-1155” |
16-4219” |
| 6 |
122-1219” |
17-2802” |
47 |
122-1234” |
16-4026” |
| 7 |
122-1227” |
17-2551” |
48 |
122-1244” |
16-3756” |
| 8 |
122-1137” |
17-2621” |
49 |
122-1441” |
16-3837” |
| 9 |
122-1018” |
17-2657” |
50 |
122-1619” |
16-3936” |
| 10 |
122-0921” |
17-2838” |
51 |
122-1726” |
16-3850” |
| 11 |
122-0858” |
17-3032” |
52 |
122-1942” |
16-3854” |
| 12 |
122-0747” |
17-3201” |
53 |
122-2109” |
17-3921” |
| 13 |
122-0510” |
17-3221” |
54 |
122-2358” |
16-3921” |
| 14 |
122-0221” |
17-3221” |
55 |
122-2518” |
16-4127” |
| 15 |
122-5931” |
17-3220” |
56 |
122-2645” |
16-4340” |
| 16 |
121-5921” |
17-3031” |
57 |
122-2803” |
16-4553” |
| 17 |
121-5939” |
17-2841” |
58 |
122-2851” |
16-4821” |
| 18 |
122-0045” |
17-2647” |
59 |
122-2949” |
16-5046” |
| 19 |
122-0019” |
17-2428” |
60 |
122-3020” |
16-5318” |
| 20 |
121-5955” |
17-2227” |
61 |
122-3111” |
16-5545” |
| 21 |
122-0008” |
17-2026” |
62 |
122-3059” |
16-5824” |
| 22 |
122-0058” |
17-1901” |
63 |
122-3240” |
16-5959” |
| 23 |
122-0316” |
17-1813” |
64 |
122-3347” |
17-0221” |
| 24 |
122-0224” |
17-1625” |
65 |
122-3416” |
17-0444” |
| 25 |
122-0244” |
17-1415” |
66 |
122-3359” |
17-0710” |
| 26 |
122-0306” |
17-1239” |
67 |
122-3258” |
17-0929” |
| 27 |
122-0312” |
17-1052” |
68 |
122-3055” |
17-1058” |
| 28 |
122-0455” |
17-0933” |
69 |
122-2824” |
17-1003” |
| 29 |
122-0656” |
17-1021” |
70 |
122-2811” |
17-1160” |
| 30 |
122-0717” |
17-0819” |
71 |
122-2913” |
17-1423” |
| 31 |
122-0743” |
17-0605” |
72 |
122-2860” |
17-1703” |
| 32 |
122-0904” |
17-0446” |
73 |
122-2755” |
17-1924” |
| 33 |
122-0921” |
17-0240” |
74 |
122-2633” |
17-2128” |
| 34 |
122-0919” |
17-0039” |
75 |
122-2429” |
17-2315” |
| 35 |
122-0919” |
16-5927” |
76 |
122-2157” |
17-2414” |
| 36 |
122-1039” |
16-5918” |
77 |
122-1933” |
17-2301” |
| 37 |
122-1211” |
16-5825” |
78 |
122-1739” |
17-2436” |
| 38 |
122-1206” |
16-5609” |
79 |
122-1622” |
17-2651” |
| 39 |
122-1237” |
16-5420” |
80 |
122-1457” |
17-2906” |
| 40 |
122-1110” |
16-5249” |
81 |
122-1435” |
17-3144” |
| 41 |
122-1140” |
16-2128” |
Containing an approximate land area of 287,861 hectares and coastline water area of 71,625 hectares. The municipal water boundary stretch along the boundary of the protected area will serve as a buffer zone.
The above-described area shall be known as the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park and shall be under the administrative jurisdiction of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to be administered by the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) as constituted pursuant to RA 7586 (NIPAS Act of 1992) and its implementing rules and regulations.
The purpose for the establishment of the Natural Park is to protect and conserve the ecological, biological, scientific and educational features of the area. Sustainable development of the area shall be pursued to address the socio-economic needs of the local communities without causing adverse impact on the environment.
Insofar as the rules and regulations over national parks are consistent with the provisions of the NIPAS Act, they shall continue to apply until Congress shall otherwise declare. All other applicable laws shall remain in full force and effect.1aшphi1
A person qualifying for a tenured migrant status as of the effectivity of the NIPAS Act shall be eligible to become a steward of a portion of land within the appropriate management zone of the protected area, and from which he may derive subsistence.
The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) appointed by the Secretary shall perform such powers and duties as specified in the NIPAS Act and as delegated to it by the Secretary under such Act. All decisions made pursuant to these rules and regulations shall have the force and effect of acts of a final PAMB under the NIPAS Act.
Letter of Instruction (LOI) 917-A, dated September 7, 1979 is hereby amended accordingly.
IN WITNESS, WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.
Done in the City of Manila, this 10th of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety seven.
(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
By the President:
(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary
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