AMENDING SECTIONS FOUR AND FIFTEEN OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED FOUR THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY FOUR, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “GEODETIC ENGINEERING LAW.”

WHEREAS, the Philippines is presently engaged in an expanded
land reform requiring massive cadastral and public land subdivision surveys
which are the basic requirements in the perfection of rights over the areas;

WHEREAS, it is imperative that technical men especially
trained in geodetic and photogrammetric surveying and mapping shall be utilized
in this social reform program to undertake the land capability surveys as well
as the planning and programming of economic development of the country through
surveying and mapping;

WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to make some courses
especially in the field of technology relevant to the goals and objectives of
the Government and to produce technical men to meet the immediate needs of the
Government and the private sector in the field of surveying;

WHEREAS, there is currently a shortage of qualified geodetic
engineers to perform geodetic engineering, surveying and/or mapping activities
on land property and public land subdivision surveys as well as land reform
mapping on rice and corn lands throughout the country;

WHEREAS, few colleges and universities are not offering
courses leading to the Bachelor’s degree in geodetic engineering due to lack of
students enrolling in the course; and

WHEREAS, there are graduates with the title of Associate in
Surveying and civil engineering undergraduates who do not qualify to take the
board examination for geodetic engineers, but competent to undertake mapping and
land survey work;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution as
Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to
Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1, dated
September 22, 1972, as amended, and Proclamation No. 1103, dated January 17,
1973, and in order to effect the desired changes and reforms in the social,
economic and political structures of our society, do hereby order and decree the
amendment of Republic Act No. 4374, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section four of Republic Act Numbered Four
Thousand Three Hundred Seventy-Four is hereby amended by adding a sub-paragraph
to read as follows:

“SEC. 4. — x x x

(i) Give two kinds of examinations, namely:

1. Junior Geodetic Engineer; and
2. Geodetic Engineer”

SEC. 2. Section fifteen of the same Act is hereby amended by
adding a sub-paragraph to read as follows:

“SEC. 15. — x x x

(e) To qualify in the Junior Geodetic Engineer Examination, he must,
likewise, satisfy the foregoing requirements (a) to (c) of this Section and he
shall have completed an Associate in Surveying or third year in Geodetic
Engineering course or fourth year in Civil Engineering course:
Provided, That those Civil Engineering undergraduates must also have
completed or earned to their credit the following courses: Laws on Natural
Resources, Land Registration and Property, Land Reform Laws, Land Property
Surveys, Photogrammetry and Cartography from any recognized school, college or
university. The certificate to be issued if he qualifies shall authorize him to
execute land property surveys for judicial and administrative land registration
proceedings: Provided, That this provision shall not affect those
geodetic engineers to whom the Board has issued the Geodetic Engineering
Certificates.”

SEC. 3. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 2nd day of June, in the year of Our Lord,
nineteen hundred and seventy-three.

			(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS President Republic of the Philippines
	By the President:
	(Sgd.) ROBERTO V. REYES
		Acting Executive Secretary

(Sgd.)FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President

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