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WHEREAS, small settlers who have migrated to Mindanao and other parts of the country need the assistance of the government against the machinations of vested and powerful interests;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby create a Small Settlers’ Protection Committee composed of the following:

The Governor, Land Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Chairman
Associate Commissioner of the Commission on National Integration or his representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Member
The Chief of Constabulary or his representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Member
The Director of Forestry or his representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Member
The Director of Lands or his representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Member
Chief, Agrarian Counsel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Member

The Committee shall look into the problems of small settlers arising out of conflicts over classified or unclassified public land, as well as enforce and protect their rights as settlers or occupants. The Committee is hereby granted all the powers of an investigating body under Sections 71 and 580 of the Revised Administrative Code, including the power to summon witnesses, administer oaths or take testimony or evidence relevant to the investigation, and shall have access to, and the right to examine any books, documents, papers or records, as well as the right to require production thereof under a subpoena duces tecum.

The Committee is empowered to call upon any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the government for such assistance as it may need for the accomplishment of its task and to create such sub-committees as may be necessary to implement this order.

Provincial Committees composed of the following:

PC Provincial Commander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Chairman
District Land Officer concerned or his representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Member
District Forester or his representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Member
The Provincial Representative concerned Land Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Member
The Area Representative concerned, Commission on National Integration	Member

are created in each province to artist the committee in determining actual occupancy of small settlers. Its findings shall have persuasive effect. The Cabinet Secretariat shall be the Secretariat of the Committee through which all communications involving conflicting claims between settlers and other claimants shall be coursed for processing.

The Committee will recommend such rules and regulations, including a standard operating procedure, not inconsistent with existing Department orders of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, to implement the provisions of this order.

Done in the City of Manila, this 13th day of July, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and sixty-seven.


By the President:
(SGD.) RAFAEL M. SALAS
Executive Secretary