WHEREAS, it is the Government's policy to encourage agricultural production in order to achieve food self-sufficiency;

WHEREAS, without a unifying authority, the activities of several government agencies with interrelated functions have sometimes led to duplication and unintegrated measures which frustrate government and private efforts toward the attainment of self-sufficiency in food of animal origin;

WHEREAS, the organization of the National Food and Agriculture Council has made substantial gains in the administration and implementation of food crops production, particularly in rice, corn and other crops;

WHEREAS, there is an urgent need for a coordinating agency similar to the National Food and Agriculture Council that shall oversee, unify, and integrate the administration and implementation of the livestock industries and allied industries development and rationalization.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the power vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree the following:

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy—It is the declared policy of the State to promote the development of the livestock industry in order to increase the supply of livestock and livestock products and to attain self-sufficiency in food commodities of animal origin.

SECTION 2. Creation of the Livestock Development Council—There is hereby created a body called the Livestock Development Council, hereinafter referred to as the "Council" which shall be under the administrative supervision of the Department of Agriculture.

SECTION 3. Powers and Functions—The Council shall have the following powers and functions:

1. To formulate and establish comprehensive policy guidelines for the development of the livestock industry in all its aspects.
2. To formulate the long and short range programs calculated to achieve major self-sufficiency, efficiency, and stability in food commodities of animal origin.
3. To coordinate, integrate, and supervise all policies and programs of all government agencies charged with the implementation thereof.
4. To evaluate the activities and accomplishments of all agencies of the government charged with the implementation of the different aspects of the livestock development programs.
5. To assist, coordinate, and integrate private sector activities with that of the government sector with the purpose of involving the private sector in the food development programs of animal origin and allied industries.
6. To call on any department, bureau, office, agency, and other instrumentalities of the government in the form of personnel, facilities, and other resources as the need arises in the performance of its functions.
7. To perform such other functions as maybe necessary to attain the objectives of the livestock development programs.

SECTION 4. Composition of the Council. The members of the Council shall be composed of the following:

A. From the Government Sector
	1.		Secretary, Department of Agriculture
	2.		Secretary, Department of Agrarian Reform
	3.		Secretary, Department of Industry
	4.		Secretary, Department of Local Governments and Community Development
	5.		Secretary, Department of National Resources
	6.		Director-General, National Economic Development Authority
	7.		Secretary, Department of Trade
	8.		Director, Bureau of Animal Industry
	9.		Chairman, Board of Investments
	10.		Director, Central Bank, Department of Rural Banks and Savings and Loan Associations
	11.		Administrator, National Grains Authority
	12.		President, Food Terminal, Inc.
	13.		Director-General, Philippine Council for Agriculture and Resources Research
	14.		President, Land Bank of the Philippines
	15.		President, Philippine National Bank
	16.		Governor, Development Bank of the Philippines
	17.		Executive Director, Livestock Development Council
	18.		Chief, Philippine Constabulary

The Heads of Offices from the government sector may appoint his representative to the Council from among his senior officials.

B. From the Private Sector
	1.		President, Federation of Cattle Raisers Association of the Philippines
	2.		President, Philippine Poultry Industry Association
	3.		President, Philippine Association of Hog Raisers, Inc.
	4.		President, Contract Growers Association of the Philippines
	5.		President, Food Processors Association
	6.		President, Philippine Association of Meat Importers
	7.		President, Philippine Association of Feedmillers, Inc.
	8.		Representative of Small Poultry Raisers
	9.		Representative of Small Hog Raisers
	10.		Representative of Small Cattle Raisers

The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture or his duly designated representative shall be the Chairman of the Council. Representative of small poultry, hog and cattle raisers, shall be appointed by the Chairman upon recommendation of the Council. Other government agencies, associations, organizations or institutions not otherwise included in this Decree shall be given representation in the Council upon approval of the Council.

SECTION 5. Executive Staff—The Council shall have an Executive Staff which shall function under the supervision and control of an Executive Director. The Council shall organize the Executive Staff in accordance with the approved staffing pattern and shall fix their salaries and remunerations including per diems and allowances of personnel, subject to existing provisions of the law. However, technical positions shall be exempt from WAPCO. The Chairman shall appoint all personnel of the Executive Staff.

SECTION 6. Livestock Development Fund—The amount of three pesos (P3.00) shall be collected as fees for the registration of large cattle. Of the fee collected, one peso (P1.00) shall go to the municipality where the registration takes place and two pesos (P2.00) shall go to a Livestock Development Fund. Of the two pesos (P2.00) for the Livestock Development Fund, one peso (P1.00) shall be used to carry out the functions of the Council and the other one peso (P1.00) shall be used to assist accredited private organizations or associations in their development work on the livestock industry.

SECTION 7. Appropriation of Funds—The Department of Agriculture is hereby directed to appropriate and release sufficient funds for the organization of the Council and for its initial operations. Henceforth, funds sufficient to fully carry out the functions and objectives of the Council shall be appropriated every fiscal year in the General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 8. Repealing Clause—All laws, decrees, executive orders, administrative orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with any provision of this Decree are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 9. Separability Clause—If any provision of this Decree shall be invalid, the remainder shall continue to be operative.

SECTION 10. Effectivity—This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 29th day of March in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-six.