ALLOWING AMERICANS WHO WERE FORMERLY FILIPINO CITIZENS, AMERICANS WHO BECOME PERMANENT RESIDENTS OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND AMERICANS WHO HAVE RESIDED IN THE PHILIPPINES CONTINUOUS…

WHEREAS, during the effectivity of the so-called “Parity
Amendment” to the 1935 Constitution, citizens of the United States who
were formerly Filipino citizens and other United States citizens who
have resided in the Philippines for a long period of time or who become
permanent residents thereof had acquired private residential lands for
family dwelling purposes in good faith and in the honest belief that
they may continue holding the same even after the expiration of Parity;

WHEREAS, under Section 11, Article XVII, of the new
Constitution, the titles of American citizens over their private
landholdings in the Philippines acquired prior to July 3, 1974, “shall
be valid as against other private persons only”;

WHEREAS, justice requires that the Government should treat
these American old-timers, these former Filipino citizens, and
these Americans who become permanent residents of the Philippines with
special consideration and compassion.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution,
do hereby order and decree the following: SECTION 1. Citizens of the
United States of America who were formerly citizens of the Philippines
or who on the date hereof have resided in the Philippines continuously
for at least twenty (20) years, and who in good faith had acquired
private residential lands in the Philippines not exceeding five thousand
(5,000) square meters for a family dwelling before the expiration of
the Philippine-United States Trade Agreement on midnight July 3, 1974
may continue to hold such lands and to transfer ownership over such
lands to qualified persons or entities.

The same right is hereby granted to those citizens of the United
States who become permanent residents of the Philippines and who
acquired private residential lands in the Philippines of not more than
five thousand (5,000) square meters for a family dwelling.

SEC. 2. All laws, decrees, orders, policies, rules and
regulations or part thereof inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

SEC. 3. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 27th day of May, in the year
of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-five.