TO:	The Chairman, Commission on Audit The Minister of Public Highways

[AMENDING LOI 867 AUTHORIZE THE RELEASE AND EXPENDITURE OF SEVENTY-TWO THOUSAND PESOS IN ADDITION TO THE SEVENTY THOUSAND PESOS PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED TO BE RELEASED UNDER LOI 867, TO BE GIVEN AS AID TO OWNERS OF LOTS NEEDED BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF BORONGAN AIRPORT IN EASTERN SAMAR]

WHEREAS, the construction of Borongan Airport in Eastern Samar will result in the appropriation of lots owned by residents of this depressed locality;

WHEREAS, the lots to be  affected were acquired under the Public Land Law and therefore a strip of 20 meters thereof is not subject to payment of compensation if used by the Government for public improvements, except payment for improvements thereon;

WHEREAS, the owners of these lots have persistently refused to allow the government to take over portions of their lots, unless  they are paid just compensation therefor, and such refusal has resulted in unreasonable delay in the prosecution of the said  airport project;

WHEREAS, considering that the 53 lot owners affected are all small farmers and that they live in a depressed area, the government under LOI 867 has decided to grant them financial assistance in the amount of P70,000 prorated to enable them to transfer to other residential sites, but the lot owners claim that this amount is still insufficient for the purpose and appeal that the  financial assistance be increased to approximately double;

WHEREAS, to meet the demand of these lot owners for increased financial assistance, it is necessary provide the amount of P72,000 in addition to the P70,000 previously authorized to be released under LOI 867.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President  of the Philippines,  by virtue of the powers vested in me by the institution, order and instruct:

1. The release of the amount of Seventy-Two Thousand Pesos (P72,000) in addition to the amount of P70,000 previously authorized to be released under LOI 867,  to provide assistance and just compensation to lot owners whose lots are portions thereof shall be taken by the government for the construction of Borongan Airport.
   
   
2. The total amount of P142,000 authorized under LOI 867 and this letter of instructions, shall be prorated among the lot owners whose lots are partially or totally taken by the government for this airport project, in accordance with the corresponding area taken from each of them as determined by engineers of the Ministry of Public Highways.

This letter of instructions supplements LOI 867 and shall rake effect  immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 19th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-nine.