Republic Act No. 4715

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress Assembled:

Section 1

Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources is hereby authorized to set aside timberland (upland) areas which are more or less contiguous and within the Municipalities of Sibonga, Argao, Alcantara, Moalboal, Dalaguete, Badian and Alcoy, all in the Province of Cebu, and to constitute a separate reforestation development area to be known as Southern Cebu Reforestation Development Project, which shall be directly under the Administrator of Reforestation and shall be headed by a Reforestation Development Project Manager, with offices in the Municipality of Argao.

Section 2

Subject to private rights acquired prior to the approval of this Act, the Bureau of Forestry and the Reforestation Administration, under the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, shall jointly conduct classification and planting surveys, inspection and delimitation of the timberland areas, which shall be transferred for administration and management to Southern Cebu Reforestation Development Project.

Section 3

The Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources is hereby authorized further, to appropriate out of any unallotted balance from the Reforestation Special Funds and/or any savings therefrom, the necessary amounts to carry out immediately the provisions of this Act: Provided, That any appropriation needed thereafter for the operation and maintenance of said project shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 4

The Reforestation Administration shall implement and carry out the provisions of this Act pending the installation of the offices of the Reforestation Development Project; and the Administrator of Reforestation shall prepare a staffing pattern for the effective administration and management of said Reforestation Development Project.

The Reforestation Development Project Manager, who shall have the rank of a Forestry Projects Coordinator, shall be appointed in accordance with existing laws, and shall have authority to promulgate rules and regulations to carry into effect the provisions of this Act, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, upon recommendation of the Administrator of Reforestation.

Section 5

This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 18, 1966.