WHEREAS, it is a policy of the government to promote the integrated development of agriculture, natural re sources, infrastructure and social services in underdevelop ed areas to solidify the economic and social structure of our society;

WHEREAS, an integrated area development project has been adopted for Samar Island;

WHEREAS, the success of the project requires that the management and planning of the island be comprehensive, decentralized, and framed within regional and national plans;

WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to enhance the organ­izational framework and systems capability for planning, managing and monitoring this integrated development project;

NOW, THEREFORE, I FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, in order to ensure the success of this project, do hereby order and decree the following:

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy.—The Samar Integrated Rural Development Project, identified as the fourth Integrated Rural Development Project of the Philippines, hereinafter referred to as the Project, is hereby declared an integrated rural development project of the national government under the direct supervision of the Cabinet Coordinating Committee on Integrated Rural Development Projects of the National Economic and Development Authority. The Cabinet Coordinating Committee on Integrated Rural Development Projects, as created in Letter of Instructions No. 99 and stipulated in Presidential Decree No. 805, is composed of the Secretary of Agriculture as Chairman, Secretary of Public Works as Vice-Chairman, with the Secretaries of Finance, Public Highways, Natural Resources, Local Governments and Community Development, Agrarian Reform, National Economic and Development Authority, and the Office of the President, as members. The Cabinet Committee shall be charged with the planning and implementation of all rural development projects in the country. The following policies are adopted for the effective implementation thereof: (a) to integrate national and local government programs and projects with in its jurisdiction; and (b) to decentralize the planning and implementation of rural development projects.

SEC. 2. Cabinet Coordinator for the Project—The Secretary of Local Governments and Community Development shall be the Cabinet Committee Coordinator for the Project and shall act for the chairman of the Cabinet Coordinating Committee in all administrative matters, in accordance with the broad policies and guidelines established by the Cabinet Committee. As Cabinet Committee Coordinator he shall have the following powers and functions:

a. Oversee the coordination of the planning and implementation of the project;

b. Review the project's consolidated plans, budgets, and work programs and recommend approval by the Cabinet Committee;

c. Arrange and/or negotiate with local and foreign financing institutions, subject to approval by the Cabinet Committee for the funding of rural development projects in the area;

d. Approve requests of the implementing departments and agencies for budget releases for projects in accordance with the consolidated plans, budgets and work programs approved by the Cabinet Committee; Provided, that such approval shall be subject to the availability of funds in accordance with the existing budgetary policy, laws, rules and regulations which shall be secured from the President;

e. Appoint the Project Director;

f. Bring to the attention of the Cabinet Committee matters that require its urgent consideration.

SEC. 3. Creation and Domicile of the Samar Integrated Rural Development Project Office and the Samar Field Offices. —There is hereby created a Samar Integrated Ru ral Development Project Office, hereinafter referred to as the Project Office, which shall be under the supervision of the Cabinet Committee, through the Cabinet Committee Coordinator, for the purposes of coordinating the planning and implementation of the project by the implementing departments and agencies at the national and local levels. Unless otherwise decreed, the jurisdiction of the Project shall cover the provinces of Northern, Eastern, and Western Samar.

The Project Office shall be headed by a Project Director who shall maintain a technical and management staff to assist him in the performance of his duties and responsibilities.

Samar Field Offices for Northern, Eastern, and Western Samar shall be set up to facilitate the implementation of plans and programs for the areas. Project Officers to be appointed by the Project Director shall head each of the field offices. The Project Officers shall maintain a technical and management staff for effective implementation of the areas' plans and programs.

SEC. 4. Appointment, Tenure of Office, Qualifications and Compensation of the Project Director. —The Project Director of the Samar Office shall be appointed by the Cabinet Committee Coordinator. He shall serve until such time as the Samar Project Office is dissolved, unless sooner removed from office for cause by the Cabinet Committee Coordinator.

The appointee to the position of Project Director shall possess the following qualifications:

a. A natural-born citizen of the Philippines;

b. Of legal age and residing in the Philippines;

c. A proven record of executive competence in the field of public administration and/or infrastructure projects or in the management of agricultural, industrial and similar programs.

The annual compensation and allowances of the Project Director shall be fixed by the Cabinet Coordinating Committee.

SEC. 5. Powers and Functions of the Project Director.— The Project Director of the Samar Offices shall exercise the following powers and functions:

a. Directly coordinate the activities of all implementing departments and agencies in the planning and implementation of the projects;

b. Monitor the progress and evaluate the effects of project execution by the implementing departments and agencies;

c. Submit periodic financial and work accomplishment reports relating to project implementation to the Cabinet Coordinating Committee;

d. Approve and consolidate requests for budget re leases for the projects by the implementing departments and agencies and forward the same to the Budget Commission for released of funds;

e. Keep and maintain records of all equipment and services procured under the Project and collect and consolidate all project accounts maintained by the implementing departments and agencies;

f. Organize, appoint, remove and or discipline the personnel of its technical and management staff;

g. Adopt and promulgate administrative rules and procedures for the internal management of the Samar Office and its provincial project offices;

h. Call upon any department, bureau, office, agency, instrumentality or any political subdivision of the government to assist in the planning and implementation of the project.

i. Apply for, receive and accept grants and donation of funds, equipment, materials and services needed by the Project from sources within and outside the Philippines.

j. Prepare feasibility studies for newly identified rural development projects for Samar provinces appropriated out of any available funds from the National Treasury, not otherwise appropriated. Thereafter, funds sufficient to fully carry out the objectives of the Cabinet Coordinating Committee on Integrated Rural Development Projects shall be appropriated every fiscal year in the General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 14. Separability Clause.—If any provision of this Decree shall be invalid, the remainder shall continue to be operative.

SEC. 15. 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 heroby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 16. Effectivity.— This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 15th day of November, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-six.

 

			(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS President of the Philippines
	By the President:
	(Sgd.) JUAN C. TUVERA
		Presidential Executive Assistant