Roxas and Company, Inc. vs. DAMBA-NSFW and DAR FACTS: Roxas Roxas & Co. is a domestic domestic corporat corporation ion and is the register registered ed owner owner of three three haciendas. On July 27, 1!7, the Congress of the "hilippines formally con#ened and too$ o#er legislati#e power from the "resident. %his Congress passed Repulic 'ct (o. ))*7, the Comprehensi#e 'grarian Reform +aw C'R+- of 1!!. %he 'ct was signed ythe "resident on June 1, 1!! and too$ e/ect on June 1*, 1!!. 0efore the laws e/ecti#ity, on ay ), 1!!, 3Roxas & Co.4 5led with respondent 6'R a #oluntary o/er to sell 3O84 9acienda Caylaway pursuant to the pro#isions of :.O. (o. (o. 22 22. . 9aci 9acien enda das s "alic alico o and and 0ani 0anila lad d wer were late laterr plac placed ed unde underr comp compul ulso sory ry ac;uisition y 6'R in accordance with the C'R+. On 'ugust ), 12 3Roxas & Co.4, through its "resident, sent a letter to the 8ecretary of 6'R withdrawing its O8 of 9acienda Caylaway. %he 8angguniang 8angguniang 0ayan of (asugu,0atangas (asugu,0atangas allegedly authori eads> 6:C+'R? 6:C+'R?(@ (@ %9: A(?C?"'+?%?:8 OB 'R'@O(6O( '(6 %:R('%: ?( C'?%: "RO?(C: '(6 %9: A(?C?"'+?% OB ('8A@0A ?( 0'%'(@'8 '8 ' %OAR?8% DO(:, '(6 BOR O%9:R "AR"O8:8. :ssentially, Roxas & Co. 5led its application for con#ersion of its three haciendas from agricultural to non=agricultural on the assumption that the issuance of "" 1*2 which declared (asugu,0atangas as a tourism Whethe !! "#$% ec&ass'(ed 'n ")*# a&& &ands 'n the Maa+ondon-TenateNas+ to'sm one to non- a+'c&ta& se to exempt Roxas / Co.0s thee hac'endas 'n Nas+ 1om CAR! covea+e RA+?(@> !! "#$% DID N2T A3T2MATICA445 C2N67RT T87 A9RIC34T3RA4 4ANDS IN T87 T8R77 M3NICI!A4ITI7S INC43DIN9 NAS39B3 T2 N2N-A9RIC34T3RA4 4ANDS. Roxas & Co. contends that "" 1*2 declared the three municipalities as each constituting a tourism
its purpose. Ihich is why the "" directed the "hilippine %ourism 'uthority"%'- to identify what those potential tourism areas are. ?f all the lands in those tourism (1) recognize certain still unidentifed areas within the covered provinces, municipalities, barangays,islands, or peninsulasto be with potential tourism value and charge the Philippine Tourism Authority with the taskto identiy!delineate identiy!delineate specifc specifc geographic geographic areas within within the zone with potential potential tourism tourism value and to coordina coordinate te said areas" areas" developme development# nt# or ($) recognize recognize the potential value o identifed identifed spots located within within the general areadeclared areadeclared as tourist zone (i%e% & & & &)and direct the Philippine Tourism Authority to coordinate said areas eas" devel evelo opme pment#c nt#cou ould ld not be rega egarded ded as e'ec e'ectting ing an autom utoma atic tic recl reclas assi sifc fcat atio ion n o the the enti entire rety ty o the the land land area area decl declar ared ed as tour touris istt zone zone%% ' proclama proclamation tion that merely merely recogni recogni
?ndeed, the perfection of an appeal within the statutory period is Gurisdictional and failure to do so renders the assailed decision 5nal and executory. ' relaxation of the rules may, howe#er, for meritorious reasons, e allowed in the interest of Gustice. %he Court 5nds that in gi#ing due course to 6'0'=(8BIKs 6'0'=(8BIKs appeal, the appellate court committed no re#ersile error. Consider its ratiocination> . . . . %o deny 36'0'=(8BI4Ks appeal with the "'R'6 will not only a/ect their right o#er the parcel of land suGect of this petition with an area of 1F.1EF) hectares, ut also that of the whole area co#ered y C+O' (o. ))*E since the "'R'6 rendered a Joint Resolution of the otion for Reconsideration Reconsideration 5led y the 36'0'=(8BI4 36'0'=(8BI4 with regard regard to 3Roxas 3Roxas & Co.4Ks application for partial and total cancellation of the C+O' C+O' in 6'R'0 Cases (o. R=E1=F=21 to R=E1=*=21 and (o. E1=2F=21. %here is a pressing need for an extensi#e discussion of the issues as raised y oth parties as the matter of canceling C+O' (o. ))*E is of utmost importance, in#ol#ing as it does does the proa proale le dis displa placem cement ent of hundr hundreds eds of farmer farmer=e =ene5 ne5cia ciarie ries s and and their their families. . . . underscoring supplied-
