WHEREAS, a petition has been filed for the release of certain parcel of land from the Central Cordillera Forest Reserve and the Southern Ilocos Norte Forest Reserve established under Proclamation Nos. 217 and 150, series of 1929 and 1937, respectively;

WHEREAS, the findings of the Director of Mines show that the area sought to be released from the Central Cordillera Forest Reserve and the Southern Ilocos Norte Forest Reserve appears to be highly mineralized; and

WHEREAS, under the provisions of section 14 of Commonwealth Act No. 137, as amended, otherwise known as the Mining Act, lands within reservations for purposes other than mining, which, after such reservation is made, are found to be more valuable for their mineral contents than for the purposes for which the reservation was made may be withdrawn from such reservation by the President only with the concurrence of the Congress of the Philippines.

NOW, THEREFORE, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and pursuant to the provisions of section 14 of Commonwealth Act No. 137, as amended, otherwise known as the Mining Act, I, Diosdado Macapagal, President of the Philippines, do hereby exclude from the operation of Proclamation Nos. 217 and 150, series of 1929 and 1937, respectively, the following described parcel of land situated in the sitios of Alimanos, Tubeg, Tukak, and Daani, barrio of Cabittauran, municipality of Nueva Era, province of Ilocos Norte, and declare the area embraced thereunder open to disposition under the provisions of the Mining Act, which area is more particularly described as follows, to wit:

A parcel of land, portion of the Southern Ilocos Norte Forest Reserve, (F.R.-71), and Central Cordillera Forest Reserve (F.R.-20), situated in barrio of Cabittauran, Municipality of Nueva Era, Province of Ilocos Norte, Island of Luzon, generally bounded on the north by Southern Ilocos Norte-Central Cordillera Forest Reserve, on the East, by the remaining portion of Central Cordillera Forest Reserve, on the south by the Central Cordillera-Southern Ilocos Norte Forest Reserves and on the west, by the remaining portion of Southern Ilocos Norte Forest Reserves, and more technically described as follows: Beginning at a point marked 1 on the attached Plan, being S. 43 55 E., 7870.67 meters from BLLM-1 Banna, Ilocos Norte, thence East 3000.00 meters to point 2; thence South 1800.00 meters to point 3; thence West 3000.00 meters to point 4; thence North 1800.00 meters to point 1 which is the point of beginning; containing approximately 540.0000 hectares.

The cuttings, removal, and utilization of timber and other forest products therefrom shall be in accordance with existing Forest and Internal Revenue Laws and Regulations: Provided, That whatever improvements introduced on the said area by the Nueva Era Reforestation Project may be destroyed by the lessee in the process of extracting the minerals therefrom shall be duly appraised, the value of which shall be reimbursed by said lessee: Provided, further, That at any time the said area shall not be utilized for mining purposes, the same shall revert as part of the Central Cordillera Forest Reserve and the Southern Ilocos Norte Reserve.

This Proclamation shall take effect only upon the concurrence of the Congress of the Philippines.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

Done in the City of Manila, this 21st day of May, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and sixty-three.

DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL
President of the Philippines

By the President:
SALVADOR L. MARI O
Executive Secretary