Section 51Sec./Art. 51

Powers and Functions - It shall be the responsibility of the Authority:

(1) To initiate and prosecute expropriation proceedings for the acquisition of private agricultural lands as defined in Section one hundred sixty-six of Chapter XI of this Code for the purpose of subdivision into economic family-size farm units and resale of said farm units to bona fide tenants, occupants and qualified farmers: Provided, That the powers herein granted shall apply only to private agricultural lands subject to the terms and conditions and order of priority hereinbelow specified:

a. all idle or abandoned private agricultural lands, except those held or purchased within one year from the approval of this Code by private individuals or corporations for the purpose of resale and subdivision into economic family-size farm units in accordance with the policies enunciated in this Code: Provided, That the subdivision and resale shall be substantially carried out within one year from the approval of this Code;

b. all private agricultural lands suitable for subdivision into economic family-size farm units, owned by private individuals or corporations worked by lessees, no substantial portion of whose landholding in relation to the area sought to be expropriated, is planted to permanent crops under labor administration, in excess of seventy-five hectares except all private agricultural lands under labor administration and lands acquired under Section seventy-one of this Code; and

c. in expropriating private agricultural lands declared by the National Land Reform Council or by the Land Authority within a land reform district to be necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this Code, the following order of priority shall be observed:

1. idle or abandoned lands;

2. those whose area exceeds 1,024 hectares;

3. those whose area exceeds 500 hectares but is not more than 1,024 hectares;

4. those whose area exceeds 144 hectares but is not more than 500 hectares; and

5. those whose area exceeds 75 hectares but is not more than 144 hectares.

(2) To help bona fide farmers without lands or agricultural owner-cultivators of uneconomic-size farms to acquire and own economic family-size farm units;

(3) To administer and dispose of agricultural lands of the public domain under the custody and administration of the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration prior to the approval of this Code and such other public agricultural lands as may hereafter be reserved by the President of the Philippines for resettlement and sale, in accordance with such terms and conditions as are set forth under this Chapter: Provided, That the exercise of the authority granted herein, as well as in the preceding sub-paragraph, shall not contravene public policy on the permanency of forest reserves or other laws intended for the preservation and conservation of public forests;

(4) To develop plans and initiate actions for the systematic opening of alienable and disposable lands of the public domain for speedy, distribution to and development by deserving and qualified persons or corporations;

(5) To recommend to the President, from time to time after previous consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, what portion of the alienable or disposable public lands shall be reserved for settlement or disposition under this chapter;

(6) To give economic family-size farms to landless citizens of the Philippines who need, deserve, and are capable of cultivating the land personally, through organized resettlement, under the terms and conditions the Authority may prescribe, giving priority to qualified and deserving farmers in the province where such lands are located;

(7) To reclaim swamps and marshes, obtain titles thereto whenever feasible and subdivide them into economic family-size farms for distribution to deserving and qualified farmers;

(8) To undertake measures which will insure the early issuance of titles to persons or corporations who have actually settled and cultivated disposable alienable lands of the public domain;

(9) To survey, subdivide and set aside lands or areas of landholdings under its administration for economic family-size farms, large-scale farm operations, town sites, roads, parks, government centers and other civic improvements as circumstances may warrant and to submit subdivision survey plans conducted either by the government or private surveyors on parcels of lands under its administration for verification and approval either by the Director of Lands or by the Land Registration Commission;

(10) To inform the Agricultural Productivity Commission and the Office of the Agrarian Counsel of the problems of settlers and farmers on lands under its administration;

(11) To acquire for agricultural lessees exercising their right of pre-emption under Chapter I of this Code, any landholdings mentioned thereunder;

(12) To conduct land capability survey and classification of the entire country and print maps;

(13) To make such arrangements with the Land Bank with respect to titles of agricultural lands of the public domain under its administration as will be necessary to carry out the objectives of this Code;

(14) To expropriate home lots occupied by agricultural lessees outside their landholdings for resale at cost to said agricultural lessees; and

(15) To submit to the President of the Philippines and to both Houses of Congress through their presiding officers, to the Secretary of Finance and to the Auditor General within sixty days of the close of the fiscal year, an annual report showing its accomplishments during the year; the expropriation proceedings it has undertaken; the expenditures it has incurred and other financial transactions undertaken with respect thereto.