Question & AnswerQ&A (DENR ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2000-03)
The Leyte Sab-A Basin Development Authority is a government corporate body created by Presidential Decree No. 625 on December 26, 1974, to oversee the integrated development of the Sab-A Basin in Leyte Province.
Its territorial jurisdiction includes all lands, timber, vegetation, minerals, and waters within certain municipalities of Leyte including Alang-Alang, Barugo, Palo, San Miguel, Sta. Fe, BabatAgon, parts of Jaro municipality, and forestlands in Tacloban City as defined in Section 2.
Its purposes include integrating government and private efforts for basin development, reclaiming swamp and wasteland, increasing agricultural productivity, serving as a development model for agricultural estates, and providing social and economic assistance within the basin.
It has preventive jurisdiction over timber and mineral lands to prevent disposal or conversion without its recommendation and the President’s approval; controls the use of lands, rivers, waterfalls, springs, and lakes; may acquire, lease, mortgage, sell or dispose of real and personal property under conditions protecting developmental control.
The Board includes the Provincial Governor of Leyte as Chairman or his authorized representative, the Administrator of the Authority as Vice-Chairman, Provincial Agriculturist, Presidents of Visayas State College of Agriculture and Leyte Federation of Farmers Cooperatives, and up to six members elected by private shareholders.
The Administrator is appointed by the President upon Board recommendation, must be a Filipino with executive competence, resides in the basin area, holds office at the President’s pleasure, manages day-to-day affairs, and fixes personnel compensation below officer level.
There are two capital funds: the Capital Fund for Operations with a maximum of P100 million divided into 1 million shares at P100 par value for profit-making projects, and the Capital Fund for Social Services managed as a trust fund devoted to financing social benefits without spending the principal.
The fund consists of grants, endowments, and bequests from the government, private sector, foreign governments, and international institutions and foundations, and is exempt from gift, estate, and inheritance taxes.
The Authority may, by Board resolution, incur indebtedness, issue bonds for both Capital Funds, subject to conditions; bonds and other evidence of indebtedness are unconditionally guaranteed by the Republic of the Philippines.
The Authority shall set aside public lands for resettlement and relocate tenants, small landowners displaced by mechanization or development, kaingeros, squatters, dynamite fishermen, and landless squatters within the Basin under terms specified by the Authority.