QuestionsQuestions (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 772)
EO 772 is issued by the President under constitutionally vested powers and is intended to transfer the management, administration, and maintenance of the Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary (CGPWS) and the Calauit Project from the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) to the Provincial Government of Palawan.
EO 772 references Presidential Proclamation No. 1578 (August 31, 1976) as the declaration of CGPWS. EO 772 requires ecological preservation and development and specifically states that the Provincial Government shall amend for this purpose Proclamation 1578 (1976), and renames CGPWS as Calauit Safari Park.
Before EO 772, management and control of CGPWS and the Calauit Project were under the PCSD, following the DENR-PCSD Memorandum of Agreement effective January 1995.
Section 1 transfers the administration, management, maintenance, operation, and control of CGPWS (including equipment, structures, activities, facilities, and improvements) and the Calauit Project from the PCSD to the Provincial Government of Palawan.
It allows the Provincial Government of Palawan to opt to absorb CGPWS employees whose services are necessary for the continuance of CGPWS operations.
The Provincial Government of Palawan has full control and supervision of the administration, supervision, management, and the award and regulation of activities and concessions within Calauit Island.
It requires ensuring ecological preservation and maintenance/rehabilitation, including protection and conservation of marine resources and endemic and exotic wildlife species, in coordination with PCSD and other agencies.
It states that CGPWS shall henceforth be known as Calauit Safari Park, and it shall be promoted as a recreation and ecotourism destination.
Section 5 provides that PCSD continues its policy-making function in ecological preservation and maintenance of the park, and it retains jurisdiction over wildlife species as provided by RA 9147.
EO 772 mentions RA 7611 (Strategic Environmental Plan for Palawan Act) for PCSD policy-making functions and RA 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act) for PCSD’s jurisdiction over wildlife species.
The Provincial Government of Palawan must prepare and submit an integrated master development plan to the Office of the President.
All revenues and collections accrue to the provincial treasury and must be used solely for the management, maintenance, operation, and development of the Calauit Safari Park and the Calauit Project.
DOT, PTA (Philippine Tourism Authority), and DENR must continue to provide promotional support and technical assistance, under Section 8.
Section 9 contains a repealing clause: all other executive issuances, rules, regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with EO 772 are repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
It takes effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
EO 772’s preamble reflects decentralization/local autonomy principles under Philippine governance, aligning authority and resources with local governments to accelerate economic and social growth while addressing environmental concerns.
The Province controls and supervises day-to-day administration/management and concessions within Calauit Island, while PCSD retains policy-making functions on ecological preservation and jurisdiction over wildlife species under RA 9147.
It gives the Provincial Government regulatory authority over activities and concessions, which is important for determining who may operate or obtain permits in the park and under what rules, subject to ecological and wildlife governance roles of PCSD and other agencies.