Acceleration of Agricultural Production in Nueva Vizcaya

March 15, 1985

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 1450

PROVIDING FOR THE ACCELERATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN NUEVA VIZCAYA AND ITS DEVELOPMENT AS A FOOD BASKET OF CAGAYAN VALLEY THROUGH THE INTEGRATED IMPLEMENTATION OF IRRIGATION AND FARM CONNECTED ROAD NETWORK PROJECTS

 

WHEREAS, the government has made agricultural production as the centerpiece of its National Economic Recovery Program;

WHEREAS, under the Updated National Development Plan and as reiterated in the Development Plan of Region 02, the major thrust is to increase agricultural productivity particularly in depressed but resource rich areas of the country;

WHEREAS, the Province of Nueva Vizcaya represents such an area that is blessed with the ideal conditions of climate, soil, terrain and other natural assets for pioneering agricultural development;

WHEREAS, however, based on a Reconnaissance Report prepared by NEDA, the Province of Nueva Vizcaya despite its rich resource potentials to be the food bowl of the entire Cagayan Valley has suffered ironically from a steady decline in agricultural crop production, particularly rice and corn;

WHEREAS, the government in response to this problem of underdevelopment in the rural areas has adopted the integrated area development approach;

WHEREAS, in the 1977 original listing of areas for integrated development, the Province of Nueva Vizcaya was identified as a priority sit for integrated area development projects;

WHEREAS, in preparation for this eventuality and in response to the clamor of national and local officials of the Province, there is a need to immediately implement impact projects in the area;

WHEREAS, such pipeline projects as the Bagabag Irrigation and the Bambang-Kasibu-Malabing-Quezon Road, and its feeder network connecting main Barangays to said Road, particularly Barangays Siquiem, Catawaran and Biyon Projects have been identified to generate high economic returns of the former, to service approximately 2,500 hectares of agricultural land and the latter, to provide marketing access to the corn, vegetable and root crop products of the fertile Malabing Valley; and

WHEREAS, in addition to this economic consideration, it is imperative to implement these projects because they benefit primarily the critical areas of the Province;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and the Authority vested in me by Presidential Decree No. 1416, as amended, do hereby order and ordain:

SECTION 1. Implementation of the Projects. — In the implementation of the Bagabag Irrigation Project and the Bambang-Kasibu-Malabing-Quezon Road, and its feeder network connecting main Barangays to said Road, particularly Barangays Siquiem, Catawaran and Biyon Project, the following are hereby directed: cdt

a. The NACIAD Executive Director, to organize a Project Office composed of an inter-agency Task Force to act as coordinator with the Office of MP Leonardo B. Perez;

b. The RDCII, through its technical secretariat, to monitor and give staff assistance in the implementation of the projects;

c. The MPWH, to supervise the implementation of the Bambang-Kasibu-Malabing-Quezon Road and its network Project;

d. The NIA to provide technical expertise and supervision over the Bagabag Irrigation Project;

e. The NEDA to prepare a detailed study of the economic and social impacts of the Project;

f. The MAF to provide the necessary agricultural support services to the influence areas; and

g. The MAR to settle tenurial and settlement disputes which may arise from the implementation therefrom.

SECTION 2. Detail of Personnel. — The Project Office Task Force shall form a Technical Secretariat to be coordinated by the NACIAD Executive Director who is hereby authorized for this and other similar purposes to call on the services of technical experts and professionals from all branches of the government. In this regard, personnel detailed to the implementation of the Projects will be reimbursed their actual representation and/or transportation expenses incurred in the performance of their duties subject to the applicable accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

SECTION 3. Preparation and Implementation of Integrated Area Development Plan. — The NEDA will prepare for Nueva Vizcaya an integrated area development plan to be implemented by the NACIAD.

SECTION 4. Funding. — The Heads and Chiefs of offices/agencies involved on the implementation of the projects are hereby authorized to identify, source and provide from their available or discretionary resources the funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this LOI at the earliest possible time during the dry season of 1985.

And by way of support of the National Government for these projects, the release by the DBM of One Million Pesos, (P1,000,000.00) is likewise authorized from the National Priorities Support Fund or from the lump sum appropriations of the 1985 Infrastructure Program or from any source that the DBM may deem appropriate.

SECTION 5. Effectivity. — This Letter of Instruction will take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 15th day of March, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five.