Section 5. Establishment and Extent of the System. —

The establishment and operationalization of the System shall involve the following:

1. All areas or islands in the Philippine proclaimed, designated or set aside, pursuant to a law, presidential decree, presidential proclamation or executive order as national park, game refuge, bird and wildlife sanctuary, wilderness are, strict nature reserve, watershed, mangrove reserve, fish sanctuary, natural and historical landmark, protected and managed landscape/seascapes as well as identified virgin forests before the effectivity of this Act are hereby designated as initial components of the System. The initial components of the System shall be governed by existing laws, rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this Act;

2. Within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, the DENR shall submit to the Senate and the House of Representatives a map and legal description or natural boundaries of each protected area initially comprising the System. Such maps and legal descriptions shall, by virtue of this Act, constitute the official documentary representation of the entire System, subject to such changes as Congress deems necessary;

3. All DENR records pertaining to said protected areas, including maps and legal descriptions or natural boundaries, copies of rules and regulations governing them, copies of public notices of, and reports submitted to Congress regarding pending additions, eliminations, or modifications shall be made available to the public. These legal documents pertaining to protected areas shall also be available to the public in the respective DENR Regional Offices, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Offices (PENROs) and Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (CENROs) where NIPAS areas are located;

4. Within three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act, the DENR shall study and review each area tentatively composing the System as to its suitability or nonsuitability for preservation as protected area and inclusion in the System according to the categories established in Section 3 hereof and report its findings to the President as soon as each study is completed. The study must include in each area:

   1. A forest occupants survey;

   2. An ethnographic study;

   3. A protected area resource profile;

   4. Land use plans done in coordination with the respective Regional Development Councils; and

   5. Such other background studies as will be sufficient bases for selection.

   The DENR shall:

   1. Notify the public of the proposed action through publication in a newspaper of general circulation, and such other means as the System deems necessary in the area or areas in the vicinity of the affected land thirty (30) days prior to the public hearing.

   2. Conduct public hearing at the locations nearest to the area affected;

   3. At the least thirty (30) days prior to the date of hearing advise all local government units (LGUs) in the affected areas, national agencies concerned, people's organizations and nongovernment organizations and invite such officials to submit their views on the proposed action at the hearing not later than thirty (30) days following the date of the hearing; and

   4. Give due consideration to the recommendations at the public hearing; and provide sufficient explanation for his recommendations contrary to the general sentiments expressed in the public hearing;

5. Upon receipt of the recommendations of the DENR the President shall issue a presidential proclamation designating the recommended areas as protected areas and providing for measures for their protection until such time when Congress shall have enacted a law finally declaring such recommended areas as part of the integrated protected area system; and

6. Thereafter, the President shall send to the Senate and the House of Representatives his recommendations with respect to the designations as protected areas or reclassification of each area on which review has been completed, together with maps and legal description of boundaries. The President, in his recommendation, may propose the alteration of existing boundaries of any or all proclaimed protected areas, additional of any contiguous area of public land of predominant physical and biological value. Nothing contained herein shall limit the President to propose. as part of this recommendation to Congress, additional areas which have not been designated, proclaimed or set aside by law, presidential decree, proclamation or executive order as protected area/s.