August 4, 1999

DENR MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 22-99

SUBJECT    :     DENR Jurisdiction Over All Alienable
                         and Disposable (A & D) Lands of the
                         Public Domain

        Section Three (3) of the Public Land Act (Commonwealth Act Number 141, as amended) provides that the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall be the Executive Officer charged with the carrying of the provisions of the said Act, through the Director of Lands, who shall act under his immediate control. Subject to said control, the Director of Lands shall have direct executive control of the survey, classification, lease, sale or any form of concession or disposition and management of the lands of the public domain, and in his decisions as to questions of facts shall be conclusive when approved by the Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources (Section 4).

        This jurisdiction of the DENR over Alienable and Disposable lands was never removed nor repealed by Republic Act No. 6657, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) of 1998. The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) acquires jurisdiction over A & D lands only when the same is turned-over by the DENR to other agencies.

        Henceforth, all Regional Executive Directors are hereby directed to strictly exercise jurisdiction over all Alienable and Disposable lands of the public domain, including those lands not specifically placed under the jurisdiction of other government agencies as mandated in the Revised Administrative Code of the Philippines and prepare the same for disposition to qualified and legitimate recipients under the People's Alliance for the Rehabilitation of Environment of the Office of the Secretary.

(SGD.) ANTONIO H. CERILLES

Secretary