WHEREAS, for a more effective supervision and control of the customs service and port administration, it is desirable and advisable that the premises adjoining the piers and wharves at the North Harbor, Manila, be placed under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Customs;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law and Section 606 of Republic Act No. 1937, as amended, do hereby declare the area described hereunder as Customs Zone under the administration, supervision, control and use of the Bureau of Customs, subject to private rights, if any there be, and to future survey, to wit:

All public lands lying west of or on the seaward side of five (5) defined lines traversing the Tondo Foreshore land in a general south to north direction parallel to the existing slipline of the Manila North Harbor and the North Harbor Service Road and more particularly described as follows:

1. A line parallel to end at a distance of fifteen (15) meters from the east bulkhead of Slip œ0  and extending from point one (1) at the intersection of the prolongation of the south bulkhead line of Slip œ0  and the prolongation of the west boundary of the existing Kagitingan Street to point two (2) at the south boundary of R. Almario Elementary School Compound, as indicated in the attached plan, the distance from point one (1) to point two (2) being 371 meters, more or less;
   
   
2. A line coinciding and co-equal with the west boundary line of the R. Almario Elementary School Compound extending from point three (3) to point four (4) as indicated in the attached plan, the distance from point three (3) to point four (4) being 82 meters, more or less;
   
   
3. A line parallel to and at a distance of one hundred and forty (140) meters from the North Harbor Slipline and extending from point five (5) at the mouth boundary at the present Zaragosa Street to point six (6) at the mouth boundary of the Tondo Youth Foundation Reservation as indicated in the attached plan, the distance from point five (5) to point six (6) being 1,347 meters, more or less;
   
   
4. A line coinciding and co-equal with the west boundary line of the Tondo Youth Foundation Reservation extending from point seven (7) to point eight (8) as indicated in the attached plan, the distance from point seven (7) to point eight (8) being 318 meters, more or less;
   
   
5. A line collinear to the east boundary of the existing North Harbor Service Road, as defined by an existing curb and extending from point eight (8) at the northwest corner of the Tondo Youth Foundation Reservation to point nine (9) at the south boundary of the Manila Slaughterhouse Compound which is forty (40) meters away from the existing rock bulkhead line, as indicated in the attached plan, the distance from point eight (8) to point nine (9) being 994 meters, more or less.

All existing and proposed piers, wharves and berthing spaces in the Manila North Harbor, including the Marine Slipway, the Vitas Fish Port, and the new International Wharf, with their back up areas already reclaimed and to be reclaimed, and the whole waterfront of the Manila North Harbor and the new International Wharf, as well as the waterfront of the proposed Vitas Fish Port, Manila North Harbor, are also included in the Customs Zone.

All land areas including lands under water, and all buildings owned by the government and government-owned corporations within the Customs Zone are hereby transferred to and placed under the administration, control, and use of the Bureau of Customs.

The Commissioner of Customs, with the concurrence of the Director of Public Works and the approval of the Secretary of Finance, I hereby authorize to lease to private parties or government agencies and/or government-owned or controlled corporations, appropriate areas within the port zone, with a view of promoting utilization of the port zone to enhance port oriented commerce and industry; provided, that such lease shall not violate any approved development plan existing at the time such lease is entered into. The rental rates, terms and conditions of the contract of lease, and disposition of the income therefrom, shall be in accordance with the provisions of Sections 37 and 64(a) of Commonwealth Act No. 141, as amended by Republic Act No. 2694.

All previous Proclamations and/or Executive Orders which are inconsistent herewith are hereby revoked or modified accordingly.

Done in the City of Manila, this 4th day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-one.


By the President:

(SGD.) ALEJANDRO MELCHOR
Executive Secretary