Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. add

INTRODUCED BY REP. PEDRO P. ROMUALDO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

There is an urgent need to update this particular provision of the Public Land Act to
hasten the process and shorten the publication requirement from six (6) consecutive
weeks to two (2) weeks.

The publication will only be in the English language and in a newspaper of general
circulation instead of the present provision which requires the publication also in
Spanish or local dialect. The period to award the land to the winning bidder is also
shorten from sixty days to thirty days.

There is a strong clamor from the public for better governance and to eradicate red
tape as well as hasten the processing of government transactions. This move is
consistent with our thrust to improve our government systems and processes for better
accountability.

May I therefore earnestly request your kind and favorable support for the early passage
of this measure.

: JALDO
Lone District, Camiguin



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 544

INTRODUCED BY REP. PEDRO P. ROMUALDO

AN ACT
AMENDING SECTION 24 OF COMMONWEALTH ACT NO. 141,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “THE PUBLIC LAND ACT” AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Section 24 of Commonwealth Act No. 141is hereby amended to read

as follows:

“Section 24. Lands sold under the provisions of this chapter must be
appraised with section one hundred and sixteen of this Act. The
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES [Director of
Lands] shall announce the sale thereof by publishing the proper notice
once a week for TWO [six] consecutive weeks in the Official Gazette, and
in two newspapers one published in Manila and the other published in the
municipality or in the province where the lands are located, or in a
neighboring province, and the same notice shall be posted on the bulleting
board of the DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
[Bureau of Lands] in Manila, and in the most conspicuous place in the
provincial building and the municipal building of the province and
municipality, respectively, where the land is located, and, if practicable, on
the land itself; but if the value of the land does not exceed FIFTY
THOUSAND [two hundred and forty] pesos, the publication in the Official
Gazette and newspapers may be omitted. The notices shall be published
[one] in English [and the other in Spanish or in the local dialect,] and shall



fix a date not earlier than [sixty] THIRTY days after the date of the notice
upon which the land will be awarded to the highest bidder, or public bids
will be called for, or other action will be taken as provided in this chapter.”

Section 2. Separability Clause. — If any part or section of this Act is
declared unconstitutional for any reason whatsoever such declaration shall
not in any way affect other parts or sections of this Act.

Section 3. Repealing clause. — All other laws, decrees, executive orders,
rules and regulations, or parts thereof, inconsistent with the provisions of
this Act are hereby modified, amended or repealed.

Section 4. Implementing rules and regulations. - The Department of
Environment and Natural Resources in coordination with the National
Printing Office shall draft the implementing rules and regulations to
implement this Act.

Section 5. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect upon its publication in
two (2) major daily newspapers of national circulation.

Approved.