WHEREAS, our economic development program requires the progressive and orderly exploitation of our mineral resources;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 3 (o) of Commonwealth Act No. 136, the President of the Philippines issued Executive Order No. 245 dated July 10, 1970, prescribing the procedures for mineral prospecting and exploitation in government reservations other than mineral reservations;

WHEREAS, in accordance with Executive Order No. 245, Tirad Minerals, Inc. applied and was granted, first a prospecting permit by the Bureau of Forestry, and subsequently, an exploration permit by the Bureau of Mines, over a certain parcel of the Central Cordillera Forest Reservation;

WHEREAS, various investigations and exploration works caused to be undertaken by applicant Tirad Mineral, Inc. and verified by the Bureau of Mines, revealed that the applied areas contain mineral deposits which may be commercially exploited;

WHEREAS, applicant Tirad Minerals, Inc., after having complied with the requirements under Executive Order No. 245, now requests the exclusion of the applied area from the forest reservations;

NOW, THEREFORE, I FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby decree and order that a parcel of land within the Central Cordillera Forest Reservation established under Proclamation No. 217 dated February 16, 1929, be excluded from the operation of said Proclamation and hereby award the development, exploitation and utilization of the minerals therein to Tirad Minerals, Inc., subject to existing rights, if any there be, and to existing policies, laws, rules and regulations pertinent thereto, which parcel of land is particularly described as follows:

Beginning at Point 1, which is S 50°06' W. 6204.54 meters from Triangulation Station "Sicapoo", Municipality of Dingras, Province of Ilocos Norte (latitude 18°00' 52.258"-30,000.00; longitude 120°56' 15.328"-30,000.00) ; thence Due South, 3600.00 meters to Point 2; thence Due West, 4500.00 meters to Point 3; thence due North; 3600.00 meters to Point 4; thence due East, 4500.00 meters to Point 1; which is the point beginning, containing an area of 1,620.00 hectares, more or less, as indicated in the attached Plan of Boundary Survey.

Done in the City of Manila, this 15th day of March in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-six.