New Decrees

Title

New Decrees

Language

English

Source

The Republic Volume I (Issue No.22) 1-31 December 1976

Subject

Law -- Philippines

Letter of Instructions No. 481

Letter of Instructions No. 483

Proclamation No. 1578

Proclamation No. 1594

Presidential Decree No. 1048

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

[This article comprises the decrees or laws executed by President Marcos in 1976. It includes laws concerning Samar Integrated Rural Development Project, Muslim Housing, national park and forest reserve, and housing for government employees.]

Fulltext

4 1-31 December 1976 Laws THE REPUBLIC Stimulating Samar THE President last November 17 gave the go-signal for the implementa tion of the Samar Integrated Rural De velopment Project (SIRDP) by directing the Cabinet Coordinating Committee on Integrated Rural Development Projects (CCC-IRDP) of the NEDA to oversee the project and by appropriating P7 millionfor its funding. The go-signal, under Presidential Decree No. 1048, makes the SIRDP the fourth integrated rural development project of the national government un der the direct supervision of the CCCIRDP. The other three are the Bicol Rive/Basin Project, Mindoro Integrated Rural Development Project and the Ca gayan Valley Integrated Development Project. The CCC-IRDP as created in Letter of Instructions No. 99 dated July 10, 1973 is composed of the secretaries of agriculture and public works, transpor tation and communications, as chair man and vice chairman, respectively, with the secretaries of finance, public highways, natural resources, local govern ment and community development, ag rarian reform, and economic planning as well as the representative of the Of fice of the President, as members. The local government secretary shall be the Cabinet committee coordinator for the SIRDP and shall act for the chair man of the Cabinet Coordinating Com mittee in all administrative matters. Under the decree, the Cabinet com mittee is charged with the planning and implementation of all rural development projects. To effectively carry out rural devel opment projects, the President ordered that the following policies be adopted: □ To integrate national and local government programs and projects with in its jurisdiction, and □ To decentralize the planning and implementation of all rural develop ment projects. The President has also placed the SIRDP Office under the supervision of the Cabinet committee, through the Cabinet committee coordinator, for co ordinating the planning and implemen tation of the project by the implement ing national and local government agencies. The SIRDP Office shall be headed by a project director who shall main tain a technical and management staff to help him perform his duties and responsibilities. It shall have field offices in North ern, Eastern and Western Samar which shall be headed by project officers who shall be appointed by the project director. The President appropriated from the National Treasury funds P5 million for the SIRDP and its three field offices and P2 million for the CCC-IRDP. In a related development, the Presi dent created the town of Tagapul-an in Western Samar “to achieve a closer supervision in the execution of the developmental programs of the locality” and, at the same time, ensure peace and order in the area. Under Presidential Decree No. 1047, Tagapul-an is created out of the town of Almargo. However, the creation ofTagapul-an does not affect in any manner the legal existence of the mother town of Almagro, according to the decree. The seat of government of the new ly created town shall be located in barangay Sugod. Pending the appointment by the President of the officials of Tagapulan, the present elective officials of Al margo shall perform their duties as such in the newly created town and shall hold office until their successors shall have been elected, “unless sooner removed by the President.” Under PD 1047, the President shall transfer to Tagapul-an its equal share in obligations, funds, assets, and other pro perty from Almargo, upon recommenda tion of the Commission on Audit. □ Muslim housing THROUGH Letter of Instructions No. 481, the President last November 24 ordered the Budget Commission to release P9 million for the development of the Sahaya Housing Project ary| re-i settlement projects in Mindanao. The amount, to be taken from pre viously unappropriated funds of the Re habilitation and Development of Min danao Program, is broken down as fol lows: Sahaya Housing Project, P7.5 mil lion, and the various resettlement pro jects, Pl.5 million. The Southern Philippines Develop ment Authority shall undertake the de velopment of the Sahaya Housing Pro ject. Specifically, it shall develop the project’s water, electrical and sewerage systems, construct 200 dwelling units, barangay community facilities, and oth er social infrastructures, and widen and upgrade the access road. It shall also undertake the improve ment and rehabilitation of resettlement projects in Mindanao, including those in Tawi-Tawi, Jolo, and Marawi City. The President directed the Depart ments of Public Highways and Public Works, Transportation and Communica tions to help in the development of the Sahaya infrastructure projects and to earmark money for the project in their 1977 budgets. In ordering the release of P7.5 mil lion for the Sahaya Housing Project, the President pointed out that the hous ing project “not only conforms with the human settlements approach in commu nity development but also preserves the lifestyle of our Muslim brothers.” In a related development, the Presi dent ordered five government agencies to expand, upgrade and integrate the development of Maharlika Village “so as to make it truly a symbol of our na tional aspiration for unity in diversity.” Maharlika Village was established through Proclamation No. 1217, dated January 3, 1973, to serve the needs of the resident Muslim population of Me tro Manila. It is located at Bicutan, Taguig, Metro Manila. In Letter of Instructions No. 482, the President ordered: □ The National Housing Author ity, as project administrator, to provide the cooperating agencies detailed plans of their participation and to advance to them funds needed to accomplish their participation, and undertake housing development needed in the project; □ The Department of Public High ways to undertake road construction and land development within the .pro ject, including landscaping and develop ment of parks and recreational areas; □ The Department of Public Works, Transportation and Communica tions to construct all basic community amenities, such as schools, clinics, mul ti-purpose community building; □ The Metropolitan Water and Se werage System to construct the water system, including deep wells and water reservoir, and sanitary sewerage systems that will lead to the development of a bio-gas systenvand " t □ The Budget Commission to give due course to the request for funds by the participating agencies and to effect the needed transfer of funds from the cooperating agencies to the NEA to li quidate its cash advances. □ The longest parks THE President last November 18 or dered Natural Resources Secretary Jose Leido Jr. to prepare a proclama tion which would set aside a belt of 25 kilometers on each side of the Marikina-Infanta Road as a national park and forest reserve. To speed up implementation of the order, the President directed that pho togrammetry be used in surveying the areas and in delineating boundaries. Presidential Decree No. 399 issued in 1974 declared all lands of the public domain within a strip of 1,000 met ers along any existing, proposed or on going public highway or road outside existing towns, cities or settlements, withdrawn from settlement or sale until the government has made a comprehen sive and integrated land use and devel opment plan for such lands. The President’s directives are part of the government program of public land utilization, forest conservation and the establishment of wildlife reserva tions and sanctuaries. • Just recently, the President, through Proclamation No. 1578, declared Calauit Island, Busuanga, Palawan, a game preserve and wildlife sanctuary. He has also issued Proclamation No. 1594 declaring an area in Ternate and Maragondon, Cavite, and Nasugbu, Batangas, a national park, game refuge and bird sanctuary. □ Planners' community GOVERNMENT employees in Met ro Manila will soon enjoy the ben efit of low-cost housing in planned com munities. President Marcos last Decem ber 6 ordered the Government Service « r Insurance System (GSIS) to make avail able its 60-hectare land at barrio Kamias, in Antipolo, Rizd for the development of low-cost housing Manila government workers. The Presi dent’s directive under Letter of Instruc tions No. 483 is in line with the govern ment’s policy to develop housing for government employees in Metro Manila. The Kamias housing project development is expected to provide the government, particularly agencies involv ed in urban development planning, op portunities to apply and adapt ecologi cal systems to community living. To carry out the project, the Presi dent likewise directed the GSIS to make available money for the construction of housing units in the project and to ■ advance to the participating government agencies their fund requirements to un dertake specific tasks until such funds can be made available to these agencies by means of their respective budgets, budgets. Under the LOI, the National Hous ing Authority is made responsible for the construction of housing units of dif ferent designs. The NHA general man ager will be the project administrator. The President also ordered: 1. The Department of Public High ways to undertake the project’s land de velopment and road construction, includ ing landscaping and the conversion of the lagoon and other areas into parks and recreational facilities; 2. The Department of Public Works, Transportation and Communi cations to construct all basic commun ity amenities, such as schoQls, clinics, and a multi-purpose administrative build ing, and develop wells in springs; and 3. The Metropolitan Water and Sewerage System to construct water and sanitary sewerage systems that will lead to the development of a bio-gas system. These government agencies, includ ing the GSIS and the NHA, will consti tute a committee to be called “Bagong Nayon Project Committee,” under the direct supervision of the Metro Manila government. The committee will plan and develop the housing project as a pil ot project for the application of ecolog ical systems in community living. It is authorized to employ professional ser vices, such as appropriate consultants and project managers. □

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