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INDEX

HOUSE BILLNO. __ 8768

Introduced by HON. EDGAR M. CHATTO
First District, Bohol

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Pamilacan Island is a small island of the municipality of Baclayon. The island lies at
the heart of the Bohol Sea and is 12 kilometers away from the Bohol main island. It is home
to more or less 200 families with fishing as the main source of livelihood.

Blessed with white sand beaches, the island is a tourist destination because of
magnificent dive sites nearby, dolphin and whale watching adventures and bountiful marine
life. Tt also boasts of a 20-year-old Spanish fort.

Under Presidential Decree No. 705, series of 1975, the island remains unclassified.
Despite the activities in the island, current occupants and would-be lot owners are
prevented from applying for land ownership unless the island is re-classified as alienable
and disposable by a law.

Abill seeking the reclassification of the Pamilacan Island was filed in the Fourteenth
(14) Congress. It was approved by the House of Representatives on third reading and
transmitted to the Senate. However, it remained unacted upon since 2009.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, there were
land titles issued after a cadastral survey was made on the island sometime in the 1960s but
only to be questioned later on because the island remains "unclassified".

This predicament is counterproductive to the island which has greatly increased
tourism activities in the last decades. Tourism development has remained almost nil. This
hampers economic development in the island, prevents income for the local government
and frustrates opportunities for the local inhabitants. On the other, this has opened
anomalies on land titling in the island.

The filing of the bill now is to aimed to correct the current situation and allow for
land ownership to deserving constituents and the development of the area.

For the foregoing reasons, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

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REP. EDGAR M. CHATTO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNo. _ 8768

Introduced by HON. EDGAR M. CHATTO
First District, Bohol

AN ACT
DECLARING A PARCEL OF LAND OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
LOCATED IN THE ISLAND OF PAMILACAN, MUNICIPALITY OF BACLAYON,
PROVINCE OF BOHOL AN AGRICULTURAL LAND OPEN TO
DISPOSITION FOR AGRICULTURAL, RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL,
INDUSTRIAL OR OTHER PRODUCTIVE PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Agricultural Land. — The parcel of land of the
public domain consisting of one hundred thirty-nine point four hectares (139.4 has.), more
orless, identified as Project No. 6-A, forestlands, per Land Classification Map No. 694, dated
01 November 1927, located in the Island of Pamilacan, Municipality of Baclayon, Province
of Bohol is hereby declared an agricultural land open to alienation and disposition for
agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial or other productive purposes. Said parcel
of land is more particularly described as follows:

Tie line corner 1 is S. 05° 42" E., 14,941.34 m. from BLLM 1, CAD 359 D, Baclayon,
Bohol;

Distance Tree Monument or

Corner Bearing tg next Corner Natural Landmark

1 S. 58° 24'W. 123.24m. Old P.S. Cyl. Conc. Mon.
2 S.59° 54'W. 161.26 m. P.S. Cyl. Cone. Mon.

3 S.74° 41'W. 124.27 m. X Coco Tree

4 S. 89° 38" W. 130.41 m. X Coco Tree

5 N. 66° 45' W. 124.32 m. X Coco Tree

6 N. 42° 38' W. 48.35 m. X Coco Tree

7 N. 33° 20' W. 33.47m. X Coco Tree

8 N. 26° 47' W. 56.91m. X Coco Tree

9 N.39°50' W. 58.33 m. Xon Rock

10 N. 68° 16' W. 61.81 m. X on Rock


N. 33° 12" W.

S. 80° 09' W.
N. 20° 56'W.

N. 13° 42" E.

N. 05° 43' W.
N. 00° 53' W.

N.13°53' E.
N. 04° 27' E.

N. 05° 42 W.

N.19° 41’ E.
N. 21° 32" E.
N. 01° 33' W.
N. 19° 32' E.
N. 00° 23' E.
N. 12° 12" W.

N. 01° 20'W.

N. 10° 59 W.
N. 62° 11' E.
N. 23° 11 E.
N. 23° 05' E.
N. 60° 08' E.
N. 34° 07'E.
N.37°14'E.
N. 53° 18" E.
N. 80° 18' E.
S. 79° 52 E.
S.67° 41' E.
S. 70° 59' E.
S. 48° 56' E.
S. 52° 04'E.
S. 73° 46'E.
S. 39° 21' E.
S. 82° 30'E.
S. 44° 34'E.
S$. 34° 44'E.
S.24°16' E.
S. 18° 23' E.
S. 07° 00' E.
S. 24° 12" W.
S. 42° 28' W.

57.98 m.
20.88 m.

139.27 m.

57.21m.
48.30 m.
13.65 m.

103,62 m.

97.31m.
77.32 ™.
31.63 m.
27.10 m.
78.12 m.

117.10 m.

64.52 m.
32.31m.
28.91 m.
38.06 m.

69.37 m.

51.08 m.
34.71 m.

55.60 m.
17.40m,

20.60 m.

110.15 m.

59.78 m.

36.96 m.

71.85 m.

52.43 m.

63.61 m.

68.05 m.

183.61 m.
11.78 m.

126.16 m.

186.53 m.

65.66 m.

93.93 m.

119.15 m.

251.34 m.

243.74 m.

244.73 m.

Xon Rock

PS. Cyl. Cone. Mon,
X on Rock
X on Rock
X on Rock

PS, Cyl. Conc. Mon.
X on Rock

P.S. Cyl. Cone. Mon.
X on Rock
X on Rock

PS. Cyl. Cone. Mon,
Xon Rock
Xon Rock

Xon Rock
X on Rock
X Coco Tree
X Coco Tree
P.S. Cyl. Cone. Mon.

X Coco Tree
X Coco Tree
P.S. Cyl. Cone. Mon.

P.S. Cyl. Cone. Mon.



52 S. 50° 30' W. 135.01 m.

SEC. 2. Affirmation and Validation of Existing Titles. — Any provision of
law to the contrary notwithstanding, all certificates of title covering portions of the parcel of
land described in Section 1 hereof that were issued prior to the approval of this Act by the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and/or the Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR) are hereby affirmed and validated.

SEC. 3. Disposition of Untitled Portions. — In the disposition of portions of
the agricultural land not covered by Section 2, affirming and validating existing titles or
those areas where no title has been issued, regardless of the identified use of the same, the
DENR shall issue a free patent over any lot in said untitled portions to any citizen of the
Philippines who has continuously occupied or cultivated either by himself or through his
predecessors-in-interest or who shall have paid real estate taxes thereon, while the same has
not been occupied by any person for at least three (3) years prior to the approval of this Act,
not to exceed twelve hectares (12 has.) per applicant and subject to the limitations in Section
5, on protection of ecological balance.

SEC. 4. Final Survey and Distribution. — The final survey, delineation and
distribution of the parcel of land subject of this Act shall be undertaken by the DENR.

SEC. 5. Protection of Ecological Balance. — The area described in Section 1
hereof is hereby excluded from the coverage of Section 16, areas needed for forest purposes,
of Presidential Decree No. 705 or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines, as amended:
Provided, however, That the removal of timber and other forest products and the utilization

of other natural resources in the said parcel of land and throughout the Island of
Pamilacan shall not in any way prejudice the ecological balance in the island, and shall be
subject to forest, water and other environmental protection laws, rules and regulations:
Provided, moreover, That the island’s existing mangrove forests and the twenty (20)-meter
protection zone along the coastal area and the banks of rivers and streams throughout their
entire length, which shall be surveyed and delineated by the DENR on the ground, shall
retain their classification as forestland, subject to the easement of public use in the interest
of recreation, navigation, flotage, fishing and salvage.

SEC. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within six (6) months from
the approval of this Act, the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources shall
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for its effective implementation, The
provisions of the Public Land Act pertaining to the distribution of public lands and the
issuance of land titles, insofar as they are not inconsistent herewith, shall apply.

SEC. 7. Separability Clause. — If any part or section of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, such declaration shall not affect in any manner the other parts or sections
of this Act.

SEC. 8, Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, proclamations or issuances
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby amended, repealed or
modified accordingly.

SEC. 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.


Approved,