WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of Commonwealth Act No. 485, as amended, the land and improvements on which the court and stadium for Basque pelota are established shall, twenty-five years after the first game of Basque pelota was played with bets, become the property of the Government of the Philippines;

WHEREAS, there is a need for continuity of the game of Basque pelota in view of its potentials in the field of sports development and tourism appeal;

WHEREAS, to properly motivate the private sector to operate and maintain the court and facilities for the staging of Basque pelota which necessitates substantial investments involving a long-term risk exposure, the Government deems it necessary that the capable segments of the private sector be adequately assured of permanent tenure over the land where the court facilities and stadium are established;

WHEREAS, to facilitate the disposition of said land including improvements thereon, there is a need to transfer ownership and title thereof to the National Development Company.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution of the Philippines, hereby decree as follows:

SECTION 1. The title to and ownership of that certain parcel of land wherein the court and stadium for Basque pelota operated by the Jai-Alai and Amusement Corporation of the Philippines, situated in the City of Manila is hereby transferred and vested in the National Development Company. Said parcel of land is more particularly described as follows:

"TCT No. 7579

A parcel of land (lot 1-B-2, of the subdivision plan (LRC) Psd-36349, being a portion of Lot 1-B described on plan (LRC) Psd-11613, LRC Cad. Rec. No. 392), situated in the District of Ermita, City of Manila, Island of Luzon. Bounded on the NE., points 3 to 4 by Lot 2, Psd-929; on the SE., points 4 to 5 by lot 2, Pcs-929; and points 5 to 6 and 6 to 1 by Lot 4-B, Psd-5174; on the SW., points 1 to 2 by Taft Avenue; and on the NW., points 2 to 3 by Lot 1-B-1, of subdivision plan. Beginning at a point marked "1" on plan, being N. 27 deg. 58 min, W., 200.28 meters from BLLM. 47, Manila Cad. 13, thence N. 28 deg. 44'W., 89.69 m. to point 2; thence N. 61 deg. 12' E., 72.44 m. to point 3; thence S. 28 deg. 44' E., 88.78 m. to point 4; thence S. 59 deg. 54' W., 3.33 m. to point 5; thence S. 60 deg. 24' "., 65.45 to point 6; thence S. 62 deg. 24' W., 3.69 m. to point of beginning. Containing an area of Six Thousand Four Hundred and Seventy Square Meters and Thirty Square Decimeters (6,470.30) more or less. All points referred to are indicated on the plan and are marked by the ground as follows: Point 6 by Old G.I.S. on wall, Point 6 by Old GIS. On Conc. Gatter; Point 4 by Old GIS. On Asphalt Road; Point 1 by Old GIS. Marked on the group and the rest by P.S. Cyl. Conc. Mons. 15 x 60 cm.; bearings true; declination variable; date of original survey, Aug. 25, 1919 and that of the subdivision survey, June 8, 1964."

SEC. 2. The parcel of land herein conveyed shall be registered by the proper register of Deeds and shall issue the corresponding certificate of title to the National Development Company.

SEC. 3. Any provision of law, proclamation, ordinance, rules or regulations to the contrary notwithstanding, the National Development Company is hereby authorized to transfer ownership and convey the said parcel of land to any person or corporation qualified to acquire lands under the Constitution and holding a franchise to operate and maintain a fronton for Basque pelota games, either through public bidding or trough negotiations, as the interest of the government warrants

SEC. 4. the transfer, sale or disposition of said land shall be subject to the condition that after the expiration of the franchise, the land and all improvements including facilities thereon shall revert to the Government of the Philippines without payment.

SEC. 5. All laws, executive orders, proclamations, rules and regulations or part thereof inconsistent with this Decree are hereby repealed and/or modified accordingly.

SEC. 6. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 16th Day of October, in the year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-five.