WHEREAS, the national development plan has set self-reliance as a priority goal in order to accelerate countryside development;

WHEREAS, effective rural development strategy includes science-based production technology, support services and socially oriented programs for agriculturally-based communities where the primary activities are in crop, livestock, fishery, and forestry production;

WHEREAS, implementation of the programs for agriculturally-based communities require the concerted support and complementation of the respective field staffs, development workers and extension workers of the different government agencies;

WHEREAS, the extension workers require a continuous deepening and widening of competence to achieve a wide community participation and strong individual commitment of both the extension workers and the resident local leaders;

WHEREAS, systematic training programs and related activities are necessary to secure constantly developing competence among extension workers and farmer leaders, and such programs need to be continuously assessed and related to national development plans and goals;

WHEREAS, the development implementation and assessment of training programs and other support services in rural development requires the active participation not only of the Departments of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, Education and Culture, Local Government and Community Development, and Natural Resources, but also of the agricultural Colleges and Universities;

WHEREAS, agricultural Colleges and Universities have the critical mass of experts and research information necessary to improve the training of extension workers and farmers leaders for development in the Philippines;

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to speed up and facilitate agricultural and rural development through an efficient and effective program for the development, distribution and utilization of applicable technologies by the extension workers of all development agencies and institutions within the government and by all Filipino farmers.

SEC. 2.Creation of the Philippine Training Centers for Rural Development. - For the purpose of carrying out the above declared policy, a nationwide network Philippine Training Centers for Rural Development is hereby created. The scope and number of training centers in this network shall be determined by a National Government Board attached to the Department of Agriculture. This Governing Board shall be composed of:

(a) Secretary, Department of Agriculture, As Chairman

(b) Secretary, Department of Agrarian Reform

(c) Secretary, Department of Education and Culture

(d) Secretary, Department of Local Governments and Community Development

(e) Secretary, Department of Natural Resources

(f) Chancellor, University of the Philippines at Los Baños; and

(g) One prominent leader or practitioner in rural development

The prominent leader or practitioner shall be appointed by the President for a term of three years.

In the absence of the members under subsection (c) to (f), the officer next-in-rank to him in his department or office shall act in his behalf as member.

The members of the Board or their respective alternates shall receive a per diem as it may approve for Board meetings actually attended by them: Provided, That any such per diems shall not exceed one thousand pesos during any one month for each member.

SEC. 3. Functions and Responsibilities of The National Governing Board for Rural Development. - The National Governing Board shall have the following functions and responsibilities:

(a) To organize multi-level training centers to be established in, and administered by development agencies and academic institutions, which shall be called Philippine Training Centers for Rural Development, in order to attain the following objectives:

(1) Organization and development of a strong national network of training centers which will promote and accelerate rural development.

(2) Cooperation and complementation of various development agencies and agricultural colleges and universities in order to develop the competence of extension workers/development workers of various agencies and farmer leaders.

(b) To approve and adopt basic policies for the efficient and effective attainment of the objectives of the training centers.

(c) To approve and adopt the general plans and strategies for harmonizing the programs, strengthening the impact, and achieving the effectiveness of the training centers.

(d) To review and approve the over-all budget of and the resource allocation to the various training centers.

(e) To provide the mechanism for the effective coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the programs and operations of the training centers.

(f) To appoint the personnel of the National Coordinating Office in accordance with an approved staffing pattern and fix their salaries and remunerations including per diems and allowances of personnel, subject to existing provisions of law. However, it may also engage through special detail or contract the professional services of such consultants and specialists as may be necessary and provide honoraria for such services.

(g) To call upon any department, bureau, office, instrumentality or any political subdivision of the Government for such assistance it may need in the performance of its functions.

(h) To undertake the construction of buildings and other facilities and to purchase local or imported equipment and supplies as may be necessary to carry out its functions.

(i) To negotiate loans and/or to solicit donations and/or contributions from organizations or individuals, local or foreign, private or public, for the operation of the training centers.

(j) To promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Decree.

(k) To exercise such other powers and functions as may be necessary to carry out and implement the provisions of this Decree.

SEC. 4. Creation of a National Coordinating Office. - The National Governing Board of Rural Development shall have a National Coordinating Office which shall be headed by an Executive Director appointed by the Board. The Executive Director shall possess the following qualifications:

(a) At least thirty (30) years of age.

(b) A proven record of executive competence in the field of education/extension work.

The National Coordinating Office shall serve as the secretariat of the Board and assist in the planning, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the programs of the various training centers, which shall submit periodically their financial and work accomplishments.

SEC. 5. Appropriation. - The amount of one million and five hundred thousand pesos (P1,500,000.00) is hereby appropriated from the National Treasury for calendar year 1977. This amount or more shall be appropriated through the normal budgetary process, in the succeeding years, to carry out the provisions of this Decree and shall include incremental budgetary needs of development agencies that are involved in the training of farmers, fishermen, homemakers/housewives, rural youth and other members of the rural population, and whose extension workers require training.

SEC. 6. - Auditing. - Expenditures and disbursements made by the centers established in this decree while in the conduct of their activities shall be subject to special auditing rules and regulations suited to the requirements of research and training similar to those applicable to the Philippine Council for Agricultural Resource Research. These special auditing rules and regulations shall be formulated by the Commission on Audit and the National Governing Board for the Philippine Training Centers for Rural Development within three months after the approval of this decree.

SEC. 7. Exemption From Taxes. - Any provision of existing laws to the contrary notwithstanding, any donation, contribution, bequest, or financial aid which may be made to the training centers shall be exempt from the income tax of the donors or givers.

The assets, acquisitions, incomes, operations and transactions of the training centers shall be exempt from any and all taxes, fees charges, import licenses and assessment, direct or indirect, imposed by the government or any of its political subdivisions or taxing authority thereof.

SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. - Any provision of law, decree, executive orders, rules and regulations inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed, amended and modified accordingly.

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

SEC. 10. Effectivity. - This decree shall take effect immediately.

DONE IN THE CITY OF MANILA, THIS 30th DAY OF MAY IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD, NINETEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SEVEN.

 

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