Proclamation No. 172 (1999)

MALACAÑAN PALACE

MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ Proclamation No. 172, August 26, 1999 ]

EXCLUDING FROM THE OPERATION OF THE SURIGAO MINERAL RESERVATION A PARCEL OF LAND SITUATED IN NONOC ISLAND, SURIGAO CITY, DECLARING IT OPEN FOR DISPOSITION AND DONATING THE SAME TO THE SURIGAO CITY GOVERNMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING A SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE

WHEREAS, a proposal has been filed for the release of a parcel of land situated in Nonoc Island, Surigao City from the Surigao Mineral Reservation established under Proclamation No. 391 dated March 13, 1939, for the purpose of establishing a Special Economic Zone;

WHEREAS, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, after geological verification, has determined that said parcel of land is in part occupied by the nickel refinery plant of Nonoc Mining and Industrial Corporation and the mining contract area of Pacific Nickel Philippines, Inc., with the remaining portion containing no more nickel ore deposit of commercial value;

WHEREAS, Nonoc Mining and Industrial Corporation and Pacific Nickel Philippines, Inc., pose no objection to the release of such parcel of land from the Surigao Mineral Reservation;

WHEREAS, the Surigao City Government has manifested its support for the release of the same parcel of land from the Surigao Mineral Reservation and expressed its intention to acquire the same by donation and thereby, enable it to host the Special Economic Zone;

WHEREAS, the Director of Mines and Geosciences has recommended the exclusion of the same parcel of land from the Surigao Mineral Reservation after due public hearing and publication of his written recommendation in a newspaper of general circulation in accordance with the procedure for the disestablishment or modification of boundary of a mineral reservation provided for under the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995;

WHEREAS, the National Government recognizes Region XIII or the CARAGA Region, which includes Surigao City, as a major development area to spur economic growth in Mindanao, and that the possible establishment of a Special Economic Zone in this area is considered as a strategic approach to attain such goal;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, and upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources and pursuant to the provisions of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, the Public Land Act and the Administrative Code of 1987, do hereby exclude from the operation of the Surigao Mineral Reservation, and declare open for disposition for commercial or industrial use and donate to the Surigao City Government for the purpose of establishing a Special Economic Zone the parcel of land situated in Nonoc Island, Surigao City within the Surigao Mineral Reservation more particularly described as follows:

Beginning at a point marked “1” on the attached Plan, being N 41013W, 2,045.90 meters from BLLM No. 27, Surigao Cadastre, thence:

Lines | Distance | Bearing 1-2 | 400.18 meters | N64058E 2-3 | 181.13 meters | S20056E 3-4 | 161.25 meters | S16040E 4-5 | 161.26 meters | N73013E 5-6 | 99.19 meters | S56039E 6-7 | 346.98 meters | N16053E 7-8 | 366.65 meters | N74007E 8-9 | 264.56 meters | S13048E 9-10 | 56.38 meters | N78040E 10-11 | 457.18 meters | S14004E 11-12 | 53.29 meters | S74007W 12-13 | 199.64 meters | S13058E 13-14 | 174.22 meters | N87034E 14-15 | 28.79 meters | N37040E 15-16 | 116.13 meters | N29044E 16-17 | 93.86 meters | S69027E 17-18 | 31.01 meters | S08044E 18-19 | 31.53 meters | S17025W 19-20 | 8.00 meters | S39004E 20-21 | 19.42 meters | S61015W 21-22 | 7.06 meters | N48041W 22-23 | 17.54 meters | S70018W 23-24 | 89.39 meters | S22015W 24-25 | 29.84 meters | S67006W 25-26 | 70.83 meters | N58007W 26-27 | 85.92 meters | S58020W 27-28 | 12.98 meters | S34027W 28-29 | 45.12 meters | S05020W 29-30 | 39.38 meters | S18058W 30-31 | 26.29 meters | S28022E 31-32 | 46.57 meters | S31017W 32-33 | 62.82 meters | S03053E 33-34 | 38.98 meters | S23054W 34-35 | 28.03 meters | S17033W 35-36 | 20.98 meters | S51041W 36-37 | 15.28 meters | S80005W 37-38 | 53.06 meters | N76042W 38-39 | 51.44 meters | S88051W 39-40 | 42.34 meters | N58022W 40-41 | 37.15 meters | S40003W 41-42 | 62.22 meters | S36046W 42-43 | 56.75 meters | S35055W 43-44 | 219.48 meters | N57024W 44-45 | 266.98 meters | N33009E 45-46 | 86.80 meters | N69033E 46-47 | 464.87 meters | N45018W 47-48 | 94.08 meters | S43032W 48-49 | 139.03 meters | S20037E 49-50 | 116.83 meters | S21035E 50-51 | 112.96 meters | S76016W 51-52 | 61.94 meters | N14023W 52-53 | 62.00 meters | N04003E 53-54 | 146.24 meters | N27053W 54-55 | 47.24 meters | N67034W 55-56 | 78.01 meters | N17000W 56-57 | 46.07 meters | N24021W 57-58 | 118.52 meters | N36059W 58-59 | 484.36 meters | N14025W 59-60 | 303.21 meters | S76003W 60-61 | 152.40 meters | N17012W 61-62 | 172.86 meters | N12004E 62-63 | 86.57 meters | N24041W 63-64 | 86.62 meters | N74039W 64-1 | 105.18 meters | N12048W

containing an area of approximately 106.473 hectares.

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 26th day of August, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety nine.

(Sgd.) JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA

By the President:

(Sgd.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA

Executive Secretary