QuestionsQuestions (PROCLAMATION NO. 371)
Proclamation No. 371 amends the purpose of the specified parcel(s) of public land previously reserved for “Military” use under Proclamation No. 289 (1967) and Proclamation No. 361-A (1968), as modified by Proclamation No. 630 (1969). The reserved purpose is changed to “Defense-Industrial,” including the establishment of a Defense Industrial Estate under the administration of the Department of National Defense (DND).
The President acts under powers vested by law and constitutional authority to manage and reserve public domain lands for public purposes through presidential proclamations, consistent with national policies and existing statutes on defense and land administration. In this case, the proclamation is anchored on the State’s defense policy and relevant defense self-reliance laws referenced in the text.
The cited laws/statutes provide the policy and legal basis for defense self-reliance, self-sufficiency in ammunition and munitions, and the AFP Modernization Program that includes the Government Arsenal for developing local defense production capabilities—supporting the rationale for converting military-reserved land to defense-industrial use.
The purpose is changed from “Military” to “Defense-Industrial,” expressly allowing the establishment of a Defense Industrial Estate (subject to private rights, if any), under the administration of the Department of National Defense.
No. The proclamation expressly states the Defense Industrial Estate is “subject to private rights, if any there be.” Therefore, existing private rights recognized by law and/or perfected rights are not automatically extinguished by the proclamation.
The Department of National Defense (DND) is stated as the administering authority for the defense-industrial use/estate.
The proclamation states a total area of approximately THREE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THREE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED TEN (3,703,710) square meters, more or less, and then provides breakdown areas for Lots 1 to 4.
There are four (4) lots, labeled as LOT 1, LOT 2, LOT 3, and LOT 4.
They identify and delimit the exact parcels of land covered by the proclamation. These descriptions are crucial for land administration, determining the boundaries, and avoiding ambiguity as to what portion of public domain is affected.
It is located in Lamao, Municipality of Limay, Bataan Province, Island of Luzon.
It indicates a shift in the public purpose/government use: from military reservation to defense-industrial utilization, typically allowing industrial and production-related facilities supporting defense production (consistent with the defense self-reliance policy), still under DND administration and subject to existing private rights.
The proclamation is dated May 6, 2003, signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, with Alberto G. Romulo as Executive Secretary.
Proclamation No. 371 states that Proclamation No. 289 and Proclamation No. 361-A reserved the parcel(s) of land for military purposes, and it amends them by changing the purpose to defense-industrial use.
It indicates that Proclamations No. 289 (1967) and 361-A (1968) had already been modified by Proclamation No. 630 (1969). Proclamation No. 371 further amends them, changing the purpose from military to defense-industrial.
It implies the land is part of the public domain (i.e., owned by the State, not yet privately alienated as titled property), and is being reserved for a specific public purpose (now defense-industrial).