PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES, CODES & ISSUANCES
PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES AND CODES
REPUBLIC ACTS
| REPUBLIC ACT NO. 739 - AN ACT TO
REQUIRE THE RECONSTITUTION OR RECONSTRUCTION, IN THE BUREAU OF MINES,
OF LOST OR DESTROYED MINING RECORDS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES |
| Section 1. Any
locator, lease applicant, permittee, lessee, concessionaire, assignee,
owner, or holder of mining claims or concessions the records of which
were lost or destroyed, either totally or partially by reason of the
last war on the circumstances arising therefrom, and which have not as
yet been reconstituted or reconstructed under an administrative
proceeding in the Bureau of Mines, shall file a petition under oath
with the Director of Mines for the reconstitution or reconstruction of
said records within two years from the date of the approval of this
Act, and shall prosecute the same with reasonable diligence in
accordance with the rules and regulations to be promulgated by the
Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Provided, That the
rights of said locator, lease applicant, permittee, lessee,
concessionaire, assignee, owner or holder over such mining claims or
concessions are valid and existing at the time said petition for
reconstitution or reconstruction of records is filed. Failure to file
said petition within the period fixed in this Act, or to prosecute the
same with due diligence, shall result in the loss of all rights
acquired by virtue of the said location, application, permit lease or
concession, and the land covered by the same shall thereupon the open
to relocation or application by third parties in the same manner as if
no previous location, application, permit, lease or concession, for the
same land had ever been made or granted. Sec. 2. Any locator, lease applicant, permittee, lessee, concessionaire, assignee, owner or holder of mining claims or concessions who has in his possession documents pertaining to his mining claim or concession, shall inform the Director of Mines within two years from the date of the approval of this Act, of the existence of such mining claim or concession documents he possesses. If copies of the same are found not existing in the records of the Bureau of Mines of the mining recorder concerned, the Director of Mines shall so inform the said locator, lease applicant, permittee, lessee, concessionaire, assignee, owner, or holder, who shall, within thirty days from receipt of such information, file with the Director of Mines a petition under oath for the reconstitution of his records in the said offices, accompanying his petition with certified true copies of said mining documents in his possession. Failure to inform the Director of Mines of such documents and to file the petition when required within the period fixed in this Act and to prosecute the same with due diligence in accordance with the rules and regulations to be promulgated by the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, shall open the area covered by such mining records to relocation or application by third parties in the same manner as if no location, application, permit, lease or concession had ever been made or granted covering the same area. Sec. 3. Every petition for reconstitution or reconstruction of lost or destroyed mining records filed in the Bureau of Mines in accordance with this Act, shall be accompanied with a filing fee of five pesos. Sec. 4. Decisions and orders of the Director of Mines on cases pertaining to the reconstitution or reconstruction of mining records as provided for in this Act, may be appealed to the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources by filing with the Director of Mines a notice of such appeal within thirty days after receipt by the party appealing of a copy of such decision or order. If no appeal is made within said period the decision of the Director of Mines shall be final and binding upon the parties concerned. The decision of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources may be taken to the court of competent jurisdiction as in ordinary civil cases within thirty days from receipt of such decision: Provided, That if no such action is taken within the period of thirty days from receipt of such decision, the decision of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources shall likewise be final and binding upon the parties concerned. Sec. 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. Approved: June 18, 1952 |