Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 1488

Introduced by Representative ANTONINO B. ROMAN III

EXPLANATORY NOTE

On December 17, 1965, President Diosdado Macapagal issued Proclamation No. 508
which established the Subic Bay Naval Reservation under the administrative jurisdiction of
the United States Government.

Two years thereafter or in 1967, some areas of the Subic Bay Naval Reservation were
returned to the administration of the Philippine Government by virtue of a Memorandum of
Agreement entered into between the Philippine Government and the American Government.

The area covered by Proclamation No. 508 consisted of two (2) parcels of land
designated as Parcel No. 9 with an area of 627,330 sq. m. and Parcel No. 10 with an area of
886,770 sq. m. more or less.

On September 16, 1989, the Investigating Committee created pursuant to DENR
Special Order No. 556 conducted an ocular inspection and found hundreds of families
occupying Parcel No. 10 since 1963 or even before Proclamation No. 508 was passed. These
families have organized themselves into an association known as “Socorro Hills Community
Association, Inc.” previously known as “Tipo, Morong, Bataan Community Association,
Inc.” These families now form a community within the area. In fact, they have already
introduced improvements in the area, such as residential houses of strong materials with
some fruit bearing trees planted thereon. It is also noteworthy to note that there is a public
elementary school in the area constructed by the government.

Through the years, petitions were made before the different agencies of the
government such as the Department of National Defense, Department of Environment and
Natural Resources, Department of Health and Department of Public Works and Highways,
all of which favorably recommended for the release of the area occupied as alienable and
disposable.


The petition would have been granted through the proposed amendatory
proclamation of then Executive Secretary Teofisto Guingona during the administration of
President Fidel V. Ramos. However, instead of the proposed amendatory proclamation,
Proclamation No. 532 was passed by President Ramos which even expanded the metes and
bounds of SBMA, thereby, further encroaching on the territory where the “Socorro Hills
Community Association, Inc.” lies.

It is quite inevitable that these families have already established their roots in the
area. They managed to improve the community even if the property where they stand had
not been titled in their name.

Every Filipino has the right to an improved quality of living by being able to acquire
lands and enrich the same. It is also the policy of the state to promote social justice and this
can be achieved through the equitable distribution and ownership of lands to the landless.
This will also prevent the individuals who are not the actual occupants of the land from
further acquiring certain parcels of land in the area.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is most earnestly sought.

ANTQNINO B. ROMAN III


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. _1488

Introduced by Representative ANTONINO B. ROMAN III

AN ACT
CONVERTING A PORTION OF THE LAND, EMBRACED UNDER
PROCLAMATION NO. 508 AND PROCLAMATION NO. 532 AS ALIENABLE
AND DISPOSABLE TO THE ACTUAL BONA FIDE OCCUPANTS THEREOF

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Certain lands of the public domain located in the municipal of
Hermosa, Dinalupihan and Morong, Province of Bataan are hereby declared alienable and
disposable lands for residential, agricultural and other similar purposes to the actual bona
fide occupants thereof.

Said parcel of land has an area of 1,949,128.26 sq. m., more or less. is particularly
described as follows as shown on plan Swo-030805-000192:

Bounded on the E., along line 1-2 by Roosevelt National Park, Municipality of Hermosa;
along line 2 to 8 by Bahay Buwaya River; on the S., along lines 8 to 21 by Perimeter Road;
on the SW., along line 21-22 by the Municipality of Morong; on the W., along lines 22 to
27 by Bangal River; on the NW., along lines 27 to 30 by Municipality of Dinalupihan; on
the N., along lines 30 to 45 by National Road; and on the NE., along lines 45 to 53-1 by
Municipality of Dinalupihan. Beginning at a point marked “1” on plan being N. 85 deg. 25
W., 16, 618.13 from BLIM # 1 Hermosa Cad.

thence S. 19 deg. 12°W., 228.06 m. to point 2;
thence S. 84 deg. 09°W., 87.75 m. to point 3;
thence S. 04 deg. 58°W., 323.03 m. to point 4;
thence S. 11 deg. 31°E., 130.27 m. to point 5;
thence $. 20 deg. 103.34 m. to point 6;
thence S. 45 deg. 18°W., 94.61 m. to point 7;
thence S. 15deg. 13°E., 113.39m. to point 8:
thence S. 53 deg. 05°W., 145.29 m. to point 9;
thence S. 36 deg. 55’W., 96.90 m. to point 10;



thence S. 59 deg. 38°W., 54.60 m. to point 11;
thence S. 52 deg. 49°W., 27.00 m. to point 12;
thence S. 32 deg. 15°W., 138.97 m. to point 13;
thence S. 68 deg. 34°W., 62.62 m. to point 14;
thence N. 60 deg. 50’W., 70.78 m. to point 15;
thence S. 89 deg. 45°W., 250.69 m. to point 16;
thence N. 67 deg. 52°W., 67.83 m. to point 17;
thence N. 51 deg. 05°W., 51.50 m. to point 18;
thence N. 61 deg. 40°W., 57.49 m. to point 19;
thenceN. 66 deg. 24°W., 47.67 m. 20;
thence N. 55deg. 26°W., 37.97m. 2
thence N. 36 deg. 33°W., 529.78 m. to point 22;
thence S. 81 deg. 01°W., 89.52 m. to point 23;
thence N. 35 deg. 36°W., 88.81 m. to point 24;
thence N. 50 deg. 14°W., 92.02 m. to point 25;
thence N. 12 deg. 58°W., 60.22 m. to point 26;
thence N. 06 deg. 18°E., 63.56m. to point 27;
thence N. 07 deg. 58°F., 411.41 m. to point 28;
thence N. 45 deg. 59°E., 263.96 m. to point 29;
thence N. 31 deg. 11°E., 562.23 m. to point 30;
thence S. 11 deg. 103.42 m. to point 31;
thence S. 31 deg. 01°W., 59.90 m, to point 32;
thence S. 59deg. 17°E., 43.75 m. to point 33;
thence S. 37 deg. 16°W., 43.54 m. to point 34;
thence S. 44 deg. 38°E., 19.90m. to point 35;
thence S. 66 deg. 50°E., 79.30 m. to point 36;
thence S. 81 deg. 37°E., 34.06 m. to point 37;
thence N. 86 deg. 03°E., 49.71 m. to point 38;
thence N. 80 deg. 28°E., 159.45 m. to point 39;
thence N. 50 deg. 27°E., 26.35 m. to point 40;
thence N. 55 deg. 22°E., 76.64 m. to point 41;
thence N. 41 deg. 07°E., 34.32 m. to point 42;
thence N. 32deg. 35°E., 26.80 m. to point 43;
thenceN. 72deg. 02°E., 9.15 m. to point 44;
thence N. 67 deg. 46°E., 9.04 m. to point 45;
thence S. 86 deg. 04’E., 17.32m. to point 46;
thence S. 71 deg. 42°E., 34.26 m. to point 47;
thence S. 62deg. 35°E., 38.08 m. to point 48;
thence S. 35deg. 01’E., 17.01 m. to point 49;
thence S. 06 deg. 37°W., 186.32 m. to point 50;
thence N. 75 deg. 27°E., 10.87 m. to point 51;
thence N. 72 deg. 54°E., 97.85 m. to point 52;
thence S. 27deg. 43°E., 90.71 m. to point 53;
thence S. 59deg. 16°E., 406.32 m. to the point of beginning;



SECTION 2. The Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources shall issue the
necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in the Official
Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,