WHEREAS, Rural Development Programs (RDP) are multi-sectoral programs which focus on the development of rural communities in certain geographical areas;

WHEREAS, the Department of Agriculture is designated as the lead national government agency responsible for coordinating the preparation and implementation of the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP);

WHEREAS, there is a need for an effective and stable mechanism for the coordination and management of the said program consistent with government ™s policy of devolution and ensuring the full participation of local government units;

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:

Section 1. Mindanao Rural Development Program Office. There is hereby established the Mindanao Rural Development Program Office, hereinafter referred to as the MRDP Office, as a Special Program under the Department of Agriculture for integrating, coordinating, supervising and formulating policies, investment programs and institutional capacity building initiatives, needed for the planning and implementation of rural development project undertakings in Mindanao. The MRDP shall be composed of a Program Board and a Program Management Office (PMO) which shall hold office in Kidapawan, Cotabato.

SEC 2. Program Board and Program Management Office.

(a) The Program Board, hereinafter referred to as the Board, shall be composed of the following:

The Board shall have the following powers and functions:

a. Review and endorse the development goals and policies for preparing the Mindanao Rural Development Program within the context of the Philippine Development Plan, existing Development Plans for Mindanao, supportive of the Government ™s agricultural development and food security agenda, the social reform policy and the national thrusts for poverty alleviation in the rural sector;

b. Provide overall direction, coordination and supervision in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of all program components and development activities of the Program;

c. Pool existing resources, and encourage the support and participation of national government agencies, local government units and non-government institutions in the planning and implementation of the various components of the Program;

d. Review and confirm the organization of the Program Management Office (PMO) and the appointment of its Program Director;

e. Review and endorse, through the Department of Agriculture, to the Department of Budget and Management, the annual budget of the MRDP office, and projects under the Mindanao Rural Development Program;

f. Approve implementing rules and regulations pertaining to the internal operations of the MRDP Office;

g. Amend the composition of the Board by inviting other representatives from concerned sectors or interested parties to join the Board, as necessary;

h. Perform such other functions and responsibilities as the President may direct.

(b) Program Management Office. The Program Management Office (PMO) shall serve as the technical and administrative secretariat of the Board, and as such, undertake the day-to-day activities of the PMO. It shall have the following powers and functions:

a. Lead the preparation of the multi-year Mindanao Rural Development program and annual plans and investment programs including the annual budget of the Program and submit the same to the Board;

b. Provide technical support and assistance, and coordinate with line agencies, local government units, financing institutions, non-government organizations, people ™s organizations, state universities and colleges, and other concerned entities in the formulation and planning, and subsequently the implementation of the Program;

Enter into contracts, through its Program Director, as may be necessary for the administrative operations of the MRDP Office subject to existing laws, rules and regulations;

d. Formulate IRR on the internal operations of the MRDP Office, for approval of the Board;

e. Undertake periodic review and evaluation of the Program and shall, for the purpose, design and operate a program implementation and project benefit monitoring and evaluation system; and

f. Perform such other functions and responsibilities as the Board may direct.

The PMO shall be headed by a full-time Program Director to be appointed by the Secretary, Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Board. The PMO shall have a staff complement, the composition and structure of which shall be reviewed and endorsed by the Board.

SEC. 3. Role of Implementing Agencies. The concerned local government units, in close coordination with line agencies/departments and participating communities, shall be responsible for working with the PMO in planning their respective components, and all contracts entered into for the preparation and/or implementation of Program components shall be governed by existing procedures/arrangements adopted by the respective agencies.

SEC. 4. Operational Requirements. The Department of Agriculture shall allocate from any lump sum appropriations in the General Appropriations Act the amount as may be appropriate and necessary for the operational requirements of the MRDP Office based on the work and financial program submitted by the Board.

SEC. 5. MRDP Office Term. The MRDP Office shall have a term corresponding to the time required for completing preparation of the Program, and subsequently for the implementation period of projects included in the Program.

SEC. 6. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 24th day of March, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Eight.

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

By the President:

(Sgd.) ALEXANDER P. AGUIRRE
Executive Secretary