WHEREAS , in response to devastation caused by flooding brought about by Typhoons Frank in the Lower Cotabato River Basin covering the provinces of North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat and the City of Cotabato in Region XII and parts of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Executive Order 743 was issued on 24 July 2008, creating the Task Force on Cotabato Flood Control;

WHEREAS , on 29 September 2008 the Presidential Task Force on the Mindanao River Basin Rehabilitation and Development was created by virtue of Executive Order 753 which provided for a timeline of two years from the date of issuance œwithout prejudice to the extension of time to be granted by the President as may be deemed necessary to accomplish its task ;

WHEREAS , on 5 January 2009, Executive Order No. 753-A was issued amending Executive Order No. 753 and harmonizing Executive Order No. 743, s. 2008 and Executive Order No 753, s. 2008.

WHEREAS , the bidding and awarding of the Mindanao River Basin Rehabilitation and Development Master Plan Project was completed only in December 2009;

WHEREAS , the study preparation would be for eighteen months and that unless the term of office of the Task Force (set to expire at the end of September, 2010) would be amended, the project would be lost and all the initiatives made would be for naught;

WHEREAS , the rehabilitation and development of the Mindanao River Basin is a long-term environmental project that cannot be short circuited.;

NOW THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO , President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby amend Sections 5 and 6 of Executive Order No. 753-A and include Section 7 as follows:

œSEC. 5. Term of Office.- The Task Force shall exercise its powers and functions until December 31, 2012, unless otherwise directed by the President.

SEC. 6. Repealing Clause . - All other orders, rules regulations and issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this EO are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. The Task Force shall maintain a Secretariat to be headed by an Executive Director. It may request that personnel from different government agencies and instrumentalities be detailed by their respective heads.

SEC. 7. Effectivity . -This EO shall take effect immediately. 

DONE in the City of Mahila, this 15th day of February, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Ten.

(SGD.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

By the President:

(SGD.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA
Executive Secretary