[ PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 287, September 06, 1973 ]

APPROPRIATING FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM TO FINANCE THE ACQUISITION OF HAND TRACTORS.

WHEREAS, it is the concern of the New Society to emancipate tillers of the soil from their bondage of tenancy and to encourage them to produce more food crops to attain self-sufficiency by the adoption of modern farm-practices through the utilization of low-cost hand tractors;

WHEREAS, the Philippines has the lowest rate of farm mechanization in the world, as reflected in the following facts: Japan — 3.5 deployed horsepower per hectare; U.S. & Europe — 3 h.p.; Taiwan — 2 h.p.; Asia — 0.9 h.p. and Philippines — 0.9 h.p.;

WHEREAS, the local sources of hand tractors cannot supply the immediate needs of the emancipated farmers involved in the Masagana 99 and the Palayan Ng Bayan Programs of the Government; and

WHEREAS, the immediate procurement of hand tractors will accelerate the achievement of government goals in food production;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, as amended, do hereby order and decree that the sum of One Hundred Forty Million Pesos is hereby appropriated to the Department of Agrarian Reform out of which twenty million pesos shall be programmed for FY 1973-74 and the balance shall be programmed in like amounts annually thereafter for six (6) years to finance the cost of acquisition and related cost of 5,000 units of hand tractors for resale at reasonable cost to the emancipated farmers in areas covered by Presidential Decree No. 27 to meet the requirements of Masagana 99 and the Palayan Ng Bayan Programs of the Government.

The Department of Agrarian Reform shall formulate the rules and regulations to cover the distribution of these hand tractors and the collection of their amortization.

This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 6th day of September, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.

			(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS President Republic of the Philippines
	By the President:
	(Sgd.) ROBERTO V. REYES
		Assistant Executive Secretary