WHEREAS, progressively increasing demands for food, agricultural raw materials, mineral, aquatic, and forest products, are being felt throughout the world and predicted to intensify in the immediate future:
WHEREAS, within the Philippines itself, the demands of a growing population exert tremendous pressure on the country's existing food and natural resources;
WHEREAS, in the light of growing domestic and world demands for basic commodities, there is a pressing need to continuously assess the status of all existing food and natural resources of the Philippines with the view to maximizing their utilization, programming their exploitation and, whenever possible, providing for their replacement;
WHEREAS, the development of agriculture and the management of natural resources involve two separate broad and complex programs which are presently being planned and implemented by only one organization; and
WHEREAS, the attainment as soon as possible of the national goal of increased production and self-sufficiency in basic foods and the completion of an up-dated inventory and assessment of the nation's natural resources for the purpose of ensuring conservation, optimal utilization, programmed exploitation and replacement whenever possible can best be achieved if these objectives are prosecuted by two separate departments.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby adopt this amendment to Chapter I, Part VIII of the Integrated Reorganization Plan as part of the law of the land.
SECTION 1. Presidential Decree No. 1, dated September 24, 1972, relative to Chapter I, Part VIII of the Integrated Reorganization Plan is hereby amended by reorganizing the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources into two Departments, namely: (a) Department of Agriculture and (b) Department of Natural Resources.
SEC. 2. The Department of Agriculture shall be composed of the Department Proper which shall include the Office of the Secretary, the Planning Service, the Financial and Management Service, the Administrative Service, the Computer Service Center, and the Agrarian Reform Unit. The Bureaus under the supervision and control of the Department are the (1) Bureau of Soils, (2) Bureau of Plant Industry, (3) Bureau of Animal Industry, (4) Bureau of Agricultural Extension, and (5) Bureau of Agricultural Economics. The following government-owned and controlled corporations are attached to the Department:
(a) National Grains Authority, (b) Philippine Tobacco Administration, (c) Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration, (d) Philippine Coconut Authority,(e) Coconut Investment Company, and (f) Philippine Cotton Corporation. The Fertilizer Industry Authority, National Food and Agricultural Council and the National Meat Inspection Commission are placed under the administrative supervision of the Department. The Philippine Council for Agricultural Research shall be attached to the National Science Development Board.
SEC. 3. The organization and functions of the Planning Service, the Financial and Management Service, and the Administrative Services shall be in accordance with Articles III, IV, V, Chapter I, Part II of the Integrated Reorganization Plan.
SEC. 4. The Computer Service shall be responsible for providing the Department and the Bureaus under it, including the corporations and other agencies attached to it with economical, efficient, and effective services relating to electronic data processing.
SEC. 5. The Agrarian Reform Unit shall be responsible for providing advice and assistance to the Office of the Secretary in coordinating the work of the Department on extension service and soil surveys and classification with that of the Department of Agrarian Reform.
SEC. 6. The organizations and functions of the Bureau of Animal Industry, Bureau of Agricultural Extension, and Bureau of Agricultural Economics shall be provided in Paragraphs 7 and 8, Article II and in Article IV, VIII, and IX, respectively, of Chapter I, Part VIII of the Integrated Reorganization Plan and in Letter of Implementation No. 9, dated November 1, 1972.
SEC. 7. There is created a Bureau of Plant Industry which shall be responsible for conducting research on agricultural crops; production of improved seeds and plant materials; protection of agricultural crops from pests and diseases; development and improvement of farm equipment, structures, and practices, and such other functions as may be provided by law. The Bureau of Plant Industry shall have, in addition to a Planning and Management Staff and an Administrative Division, the following divisions: (a) Laboratory Services Division, (b) Research Division, (c) Production Division, (d) Farm Development Division which is renamed Agricultural Engineering Division, and (e) Crop Protection Division. The functions of these divisions shall be as provided in Paragraph 2, Article III, Chapter I, Part VIII of the Integrated Reorganization Plan and in Letter of Implementation No. 9, except that the Laboratory Services Division and the Research Division shall not have the functions on production of soil inoculants and soil research, respectively.
SEC. 8. There is created a Bureau of Soils which shall be responsible for the assessment, development and conservation of existing and potential soil resources of the Philippines; conducting research on different aspects of soil utilization, management, and conservation; and such other functions as may be provided by law. The Bureau of Soils shall have, in addition to a Planning and Management Staff and an Administrative Division, the following divisions:
SEC. 9. The Department of Natural Resources shall be composed of the Department Proper which shall include the Office of the Secretary, the Planning Service, the Financial and Management Service, and the Administrative Service. In addition, there are created in the Department Proper a Legal Service, Computer Service Unit and an Agrarian Reform Unit. The bureaus under the supervision and control of the Department are: (a) Bureau of Forest Development, (b) Bureau of Lands, (c) Bureau of Fisheries, which is renamed Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and (d) Bureau of Mines. The following agencies are attached to the Department: (a) Presidential Committee on Wood Industries Development, (b) National Committee for Mineral Exploration and Survey Operations, (c) Fishery Industry Development Council, (d) Surigao Mineral Reservation Board, (e) Presidential Action Committee on Land Problems.
The National Committee for Mineral Exploration and Survey Operations is reconstituted as follows: Secretary of Natural Resources, as Chairman, Director of Mines, as Vice-Chairman, and representative of the Office of the Executive Secretary, Budget Commission, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy, Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bureau of Mines, Bureau of Forest Development, Bureau of Lands, Bureau of Plant Industry, and Bureau of Soils, as members.
SEC. 10. The organizations and functions of the Planning Service, the Financial and Management Service, and the Administrative Service shall be in accordance with Articles III, IV, and V, Chapter I, Part II of the Integrated Reorganization Plan, except that the Administrative Service shall not have a Legal Division;
SEC. 11. The Legal Service shall have following functions: Prepare decisions and orders on cases involving the disposition, utilization, exploitation, and development of public lands, forests, mines, aquatic resources and other natural resources brought on appeal from action taken by the bureaus under the Department, review patents, licenses, concessions, permits, deeds of conveyance, sales and other transfer of rights, affecting public lands, mines, forest, aquatic resources and other natural resources initiated and/ or processed by the bureaus under the Department; appear as counsel for the Secretary, Undersecretary, bureau directors, and other subordinate employees under the Department, review patents, licenses, concessions, permit, deeds of conveyance, sales and other transfer of rights, affecting public lands, mines, forest, aquatic resources and other natural resources initiated and/or processed by the bureaus under the Department; appear as counsel for the Secretary, Undersecretary, bureau directors, and other subordinate employees under the Department in court cases Where such officials or employees are parties thereto in their Official capacities and upon authorization of the Solicitor General; conduct administrative investigation, including the review of administrative charges against employees of the Department; and perform such other functions as may be provided by law.
SEC. 12. The Agrarian Reform Unit of the Department shall be responsible for providing the Office of the Secretary with advice and assistance in coordinating the work of the Department, on land surveys, release of lands of the public domain for resettlement purposes, and other related activities with that of the Department of Agrarian Reform.
SEC. 13. The organizations and functions of the Bureau of Lands, Bureau of Forest Development, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and Bureau of Mines shall be as provided in Paragraphs 7 and 8, Article II and in Articles V, VI, VII, and X, respectively, of Chapter I, Part VIII of the Integrated Reorganization Plan and in Letter of Implementation No. 9, Paragraph 4, Article X, Chapter I, Part VIII of the Integrated Reorganization Plan is amended by creating the Petroleum Division which shall be responsible for the administration and development of the petroleum resources of the country. The Mineral Resources Administration of mineral lands.
SEC. 14. The Regional Offices of the Bureau of Soils, the Bureau of Plant Industry, the Bureau of Animal Industry, the Bureau of Agricultural Extension and those of the Bureau of Forest Development, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Bureau of Lands shall established in accordance with Article 1, Chapter III, Part II of the Integrated Reorganization Plan, as amended, and with Letter of Implementation No. 9. The Bureau of Mines shall establish its regional offices in accordance with its requirements, subject to the approval of the President upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Natural Resources.
SEC. 15. Section 1 of Presidential Decree No. 107, dated January 24, 1973, is hereby amended by removing the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources from membership in the National Economic and Development Authority and providing for the membership in that body of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Natural Resources.
The Secretary of Agriculture shall be ex-officio
The Secretary of Natural Resources shall be ex-officio
SEC. 16. All provisions of Chapter I, Part VIII of the Integrated Reorganization Plan and of the Letter of Implementation No. 9 which are not amended or not inconsistent with the foregoing provisions shall remain in full force and effect and shall be corresponding applied in accordance with the intents and purposes of this Decree.
SEC. 17. The functions of the Department of Agriculture and National Resources pertaining to agricultural development and those relating to the administration of natural resources shall be respectively transferred to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources. Such transfer shall include the corresponding balance of appropriations, records, equipment, property and such personnel as may be necessary. Addition funds, if necessary, shall be appropriated from the funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated for personal services in the two Departments. The appropriations for the Agricultural Guarantee and Loan Fund and for the procurement and distribution of fertilizers and certified seeds shall be transferred to the Department of Agriculture. The transfer of the bureaus to the two Departments shall include their respective balance of appropriations, records, equipment, property and personnel. The duly appointed Secretaries of each of the departments created hereby, shall promulgate the necessary administrative orders that will provide the implementing details of the provisions of this Section, and shall be responsible for carrying into immediate effect the intents and purposes of this Decree.
SEC. 18. This Decree shall take effect upon its approval.
Done in the City of Manila, this 17th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-four.
(Sgd.) |
FERDINAND E. MARCOS | ||||||
President of the Philippines | |||||||
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By the President: | ||||||
(Sgd.) |
ALEJANDRO MELCHOR | ||||||
Executive Secretary |