Question & AnswerQ&A (PROCLAMATION NO. 718)
The main purpose of Proclamation No. 718 is to amend Executive Order No. 67 (1912) by segregating portions of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm land in Palawan and declaring these portions as civil reservation for resettlement and agricultural site purposes.
Two parcels of land are segregated: Lot 1, situated at Sitios Malamig and Bocana, Barangay Iwahig, and Lot 2, situated at Sitio Tagbarungis, Barangay Inagawan, both in the City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
Lot 1 covers approximately 9,169,938 square meters, while Lot 2 covers approximately 5,224,748 square meters, making the combined total area about 14,394,686 square meters.
Yes, any mangrove and/or swampy areas found inside the reserved sites are segregated from the proclamation's coverage and are not to be disturbed or alienated.
The Proclamation mandates strict enforcement of laws affecting salvage zones and foreshore areas. A forty (40) meter easement shall be maintained as open area for environmental protection, especially in mangrove and foreshore zones.
The reserved area shall be used exclusively for resettlement and agricultural site purposes, and it shall not be used for any other purpose.
Yes, beneficiaries may be awarded special land use permits in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 705, the Forestry Code of the Philippines, for uses aligned with forestry regulations.
A Local Inter-Agency Committee (LIAC) is created, chaired by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, co-chaired by the City Government of Puerto Princesa, and with members from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, and a representative of the People's Organization.
The LIAC is tasked to formulate the implementing rules and regulations of Proclamation No. 718.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall regulate these activities according to existing DENR rules and regulations.