QuestionsQuestions (Commonwealth Act No. 441)
NLSA is a corporation composed of five persons who serve as members of its Board of Directors, responsible for the management of the corporation.
They are appointed every three (3) years by the President of the Philippines, with the consent of the Commission on Appointments of the National Assembly.
Its main office is in the City of Manila.
To facilitate acquisition, settlement, and cultivation of lands (government or private); to provide opportunity to own farms to tenant/small farmers from congested areas and to trainees who completed prescribed military training; to encourage migration to sparsely populated regions and foster amalgamation of people; and to develop new money crops to replace export crops that may lose preferences in the American market.
It may hold public agricultural lands without limitation as to area for a period not exceeding twenty-five (25) years, renewable by the President for another period not exceeding twenty-five (25) years.
It may recommend to the President the reservation of public lands, preferably those along national highways, and recommend clearing, breaking, cultivation, survey into convenient lots, and setting aside areas for town sites, roads, government buildings, parks, and other public improvements.
Survey and subdivision expenses for allotment or initial cultivation are chargeable to the fund appropriated for the purpose, prorated among lots of the subdivisions, and charged against the corresponding settlers.
To persons qualified under the Constitution and the Public Land Act, plus such other qualifications as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors.
Within ten (10) years after final grant, the land cannot—except by inheritance—be encumbered, alienated, or transferred, nor become liable to satisfy debts contracted before the expiration of the ten-year period; however, improvements or crops may be mortgaged or pledged to credit agencies created under the Act.
No settler shall be entitled to hold more than twenty-four (24) hectares.
They are not permitted to acquire, directly or indirectly, any land within the reservation unless with the specific approval of the Board of Directors in each case.
They must be recruited from all provinces in proportion to each province’s population; if a province cannot fill its quota, the unfilled portion may be covered from other provinces with a greater number of applicants.
Private lands necessary to carry out its purposes, particularly for roads, highways, streets, and avenues, or private lands surrounded by or adjacent to public land acquired by the corporation.
The rate of interest on loans must not exceed six percent (6%) per annum.
It may establish and operate electric light and water plants, water supplies, irrigation systems, trading stores or cooperatives for buying/selling commodities, and other services or improvements that the Board judges promote settlers’ well-being.
It can act as agent, broker, commission merchant, or representative of settlers in the marketing of products raised or made by the settlers.
The Board elects a chairman from among its members; three members constitute a quorum. Non-government members receive per diems determined by the Board, not to exceed thirty pesos for each day of meeting actually attended.
Subject to the approval of the President, the Board appoints a manager and fixes compensation not exceeding eighteen thousand pesos per annum.
Under the Act, the Board appoints employees subject to presidential approval for positions with compensation of two thousand four hundred pesos per annum (PHP 2,400) or more.
Capital stock is twenty million pesos, subscribed by the Government of the Philippines. Appropriations come out of proceeds of the coconut oil excise tax or other available funds, to pay for required capital portions, subject to an aggregate cap of four million pesos in any one year.