WHEREAS, the Agno River is the lifeblood of a great part of Northern Luzon providing a major portion of all water usage in Region I and the Cordillera Administrative Region;

WHEREAS, the Agno River basin is the 5th largest river basin in the country whose upland watersheds and vast alluvial plain are surrounded by mountain ranges belonging to the Cordillera Mountains, the Zambales and Mariveles mountains;

WHEREAS, the river basin, which covers principally the provinces of Pangasinan and Benguet, is the area ™s food and fiber basket, and is considered one of the richest ecosystems in the country;

WHEREAS, the river today faces imminent threat of destruction caused by, among others, soil-erosion, river siltation, and sedimentation, thus putting in direct danger the basin ™s resources;

WHEREAS, the preliminary quantified evidence of accelerated sediment yield following the 1990 Luzon earthquake provides justification for placing high-priority to mitigation projects and programs;

WHEREAS, the recent Agno River Siltation Study indicates the need to create a body that will coordinate all phases of planning, design, construction, and implementation of various siltation mitigation projects as well as other development undertakings of various government agencies, including local government units, non-government organizations and the private sector;

WHEREAS, the most appropriate geographical entity for the wholistic approach in water resources planning and management is an inter-agency Commission for the development of the Agno River basin;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order the following:

SECTION 1. There is hereby created under the Office of the President an inter-agency Agno River Basin Development Commission which shall be composed of the following:

The members may designate their permanent representatives to the Commission.

The Commission shall have an Executive Director with the rank of Undersecretary, who shall manage its day-to-day operations. He shall be appointed by the President and shall serve in a full-time capacity.

SECTION 2. The Commission shall have the following functions:

2.1 Develop a comprehensive master plan for the integrated economic, social and physical development of the basin, including the preservation and enhancement of indigenous culture and communities, to maximize equitable benefits to be derived from the basin ™s natural resources, as well as ensure a fair sharing of the national patrimony between upland and lowland peoples. The Commission shall adopt process of maximum consultation with, among others, the local government units, people ™s and non-government organizations, and other stakeholders in the area. The master plan shall be considered for integration into the Regional Development Plans of both RDC I and CAR;

2.2 In coordination with existing line agencies, implement development projects that have an overall impact upon the geographical coverage of the Commission;

2.3 Coordinate and monitor all planning, studies, design and implementation of various programs and projects for the development of the Agno River Basin;

2.4 Initiate, receive and recommend project proposals for the development, preservation and management of the basin ™s natural resources;

2.5 Formulate, review, evaluate and propose improvements in existing policies governing the protection, preservation, management and development of the basin through legislation or other appropriate executive issuances;

2.6 Commission studies, research and other development undertakings to determine appropriate measures necessary to carry out the development of the basin;

2.7 Coordinate soil-erosion control, river siltation mitigation, flood control, both structural and non-structural measures, as well as other aspects of infrastructure and land development projects among concerned government agencies adopting the most effective devolution and sharing of functions and technical expertise;

2.8 Establish a functional basin information and database system, including computer-generated planning tools such as GIS for use by planners, managers, technical personnel and the general public;

2.9 Organize its own administrative and technical support secretariat, as well as such other committees, task forces and technical working groups it deems necessary to carry out its mandate;

2.10 Receive grants, technical assistance and other forms of development support from foreign and local donor agencies;

2.11 Call upon any government agency, office, or bureau for assistance in the discharge of its functions and responsibilities; and

2.12 Undertake such other duties and functions as may be necessary to perform its mandate.

SECTION 3. Nothing in this Order shall be construed as effecting the abolition or diminution of powers of existing government entities, including those that have been created by previous Presidential issuances. The relationship between the Commission and such other entities shall be one of complementarity and coordination.

SECTION 4. The Commission shall submit a semi-annual report to the Office of the President.

SECTION 5. The funding of activities necessary to carry out the mandate of this Order in the initial amount of P10,000,000.00 shall come from the Contingent Fund or from any available fund under the Office of the President. Succeeding appropriations shall be included in the regular budget proposals of the Office of the President.

SECTION 6. Any provision of previous related issuances contrary to this Order are hereby superseded.

SECTION 7. This Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 23rd day of September in the year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety-seven.

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary