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[ LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 561, June 23, 1977 ]

TO: All Heads of Departments and Agencies
Undersecretary Felicitas Bernardino, DEC
Undersecretary Orlando Sacay, DLGCD
Undersecretary Angelita Muños, DAR
Undersecretary Jesus Azurin, DH
Undersecretary Sylvia Montes, DSSD
Assistant Secretary Jose Janolo, NR
Assistant Secretary Miguel Zosa, DA; and
All Others Concerned:

WHEREAS, the current development effort, due to its comprehensiveness and intensity, calls for the effective harnessing of all resources, especially the human resources;

WHEREAS, the rural folk who constitute the bulk of our population and who are in a vantage position to wage rural and community improvement efforts, including food production, have shown willingness and interest to participate actively in the programs of the government on development;

WHEREAS, this willingness and interest have been hamstrung by lack of technical knowhow, expertise, appreciation  and  understanding of government  programs;

WHEREAS, to obviate these problems and to develop a corps of rural people who shall set the pace for rural and community improvement and a better life in the countryside, it is necessary that steps be taken to bring the classroom to the doorstep of these rural people.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby decree and order the following:
  1. A School-on-the-Air program shall be instituted to bring to the rural people the latest farm and home technologies, to inform them of the development programs of the government, how these programs will ameliorate and improve the quality of their lives, and the contributions that they can make to these programs.
  2. The School-in-the Air program shall be called "LINGAP NG PANGULO SA BARANGAY" and shall be extended prime time by the different radio stations.

    It shall be the aim of this program to provide the people in the rural areas information on the latest technologies of farming and food production, home industries, community development, nutrition, pollution control, family planning, health services, natural resources conservation and other related matters.

  3. All departments and agencies concerned with programs directly affecting the rural people, more particularly the Department of Education and Culture, the Department of Local Government and  Community Development, the Department of Agrarian Reform, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Social Services and Development and the Department of Health, shall cooperate with each other in the development of curricula for this "LINGAP NG PANGULO SA BARANGAY" program, the formulation of plans and strategies to gain greater acceptability of the programs, including the establishment of an incentives system.   The Office of the President shall be the overall coordinator of this programs.

    For this purpose, a Sub-Cabinet Committee is created to be headed by the Undersecretary of Education and Culture for Non-Formal Education, but the Chairmanship hereof may be rotated in the order and for a period to be determined by the members themselves.

    The members of the Sub-Cabinet Committee shall be:
    1. The Department of Agriculture
    2. The Department of Agrarian Reform
    3. The Department of Health
    4. The Department of Natural Resources
    5. The Department of Education and Culture
    6. The Department of Social Services and Development
    7.  The  Department of local Government and Community Development
    But the President may name to the Committee representatives from other departments and agencies as the need arises.

  4. Every Barangay Chairman assisted by the Kabataang Barangay Chairman, shall take steps to organize regularly as many farmers and rural homemakers as possible for the "LINGAP NG PANGULO SA BARANGAY" broadcast.  He shall serve as registrar and supervisor of the Class in his barrio.  Public schools shall be made available as listening centers for the rural populace.

    The Secretary of Local Government and Community Development shall advise the Barangay Captains and the Chairman of the Kabataang Barangay of their responsibilities under this Letter of Instructions.

  5. Those who complete a particular program shall be given certificates of completion upon certification of the Barangay Chairman and DLGCD representative.  In addition, the Sub-Cabinet Committee shall make provisions for outstanding farmer/homemaker graduates to attend more extensive training in Farmer Training Centers.  Opportunities shall likewise be provided for the graduates of the "LINGAP NG PANGULO SA BARANGAY" program and Farmer Training Centers to be hired as extension workers in the barangay.
  6. A continuing follow-through of the progress of the participants of the program shall be conducted by extension workers by way of extending technical assistance and guidance in the proper application of the knowledges obtained.
  7. This Letter of Instructions shall take effect immediately.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 23rd day of June, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-seven.

(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President of the Philippines
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