Republic Act No. 7999

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

Section 1. Declaration of a Total of One Hundred Twenty (120) Hectares of the Tala Estate as Alienable and Disposable and their Conversion into Housing Sites

Of the eight hundred eight (808) hectares of the Tala Estate located in Kalookan City which were reserved under Presidential Proclamation No. 843 for Tala Leprosarium and settlement site for hansenites and their families; a pilot housing development project; a civic center; welfare projects; and for other housing and urban development purposes, the following areas are hereby declared and/or converted as follows:

a. Seventy (70) hectares of the one hundred thirty (130) hectares reserved for the leprosarium and settlement site of the hansenites and their families under Proclamation No. 843 are hereby declared alienable and disposable for use as a housing site for the bona fide residents, hansenites and their immediate families and for qualified employees of the Department of Health: Provided, That if the said beneficiary is an employee of the Department of Health, the said employee must have been assigned in the Tala Leprosarium and must have been a resident thereat for at least five (5) years: Provided, further, That the residential lot awarded to the beneficiaries under this Act shall not be transferred, conveyed or assigned to any other person for a period of twenty-five (25) years, except to legal heirs by way of succession; and

b. The fifty (50) hectares reserved for the plants, installations and pilot housing project of the National Housing Corporation, as provided in the same proclamation, are hereby declared as alienable and disposable: Provided, That twenty-nine (29) hectares of the said fifty (50) hectares shall be converted into a housing site exclusively for the bona fide and qualified residents of the area.

Section 2. Implementing Agency

The National Housing Authority shall be the agency primarily responsible for the implementation and enforcement of this Act.

The National Housing Authority, in cooperation with the Department of Health and in consultation with the homeowners associations concerned, shall promulgate and issue such rules and regulations for the effective implementation and enforcement of the provisions of this Act, subject to existing policies on cost recovery, housing planning and development and other existing laws.

Section 3. AdHoc Committee

An ad hoc committee of seven (7) members composed of representatives of the National Housing Authority, the Department of Health, the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, the City Government of Kalookan, a nongovernment organization concerned with hansenites, an urban poor people's organization, and the hansenites associations shall be formed to issue the necessary guidelines to determine who are the qualified beneficiaries under this Act.

Section 4. Repealing Clause

Presidential Proclamation No. 843 and other laws, executive orders, proclamations and administrative rules and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 5. Effectivity Clause

This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after the completion of its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Lapsed into law on April 22, 1995 without the President's signature, pursuant to Sec. 27(1), Article VI of the Constitution.