Constituting the University of the Philippines at Los Baños

November 20, 1972

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 58

CONSTITUTING THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES AT LOS BAÑOS, GRANTING IT FULL AND COMPLETE AUTONOMY, AND AMENDING THE CHARTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

WHEREAS, the Government is strongly committed to the proposition that agricultural and rural development should be achieved as a foundation for industrialization and social and economic progress;

WHEREAS, the entire country has been proclaimed a land reform area in order to emancipate tenant farmers from the bondage of landlordism as a prerequisite to the development of a strong and viable economy; cd

WHEREAS, in order to effectively implement the land reform proclamation, there is an urgent need for a highly competent center of training to turn out the needed manpower, and to undertake relevant research and extension services in agriculture, agrarian reform, agricultural engineering, agribusiness, agricultural credit and cooperatives, forestry and related sciences and technologies;

WHEREAS, the Agrarian Reform Institute now located at the U.P. Diliman can achieve greater strength and effectiveness in technical manpower training and research if it is strongly linked with other agricultural units now existing in Los Baños; and

WHEREAS, it is necessary to establish an agricultural center that will effectively mobilize and totally, realistically and directly apply its academic and technical expertise and physical resources to achieve the purposes of the New Society;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, as amended, do hereby order and decree that: casia

1. The Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines is hereby authorized to establish a University of the Philippines System, including an autonomous University of the Philippines at Los Baños composed of the following units: the College of Agriculture, the College of Forestry, the Agricultural Credit and Cooperative Institute, the Dairy Training and Research Institute and the Graduate School, and the Agrarian Reform Institute now located in U.P. Diliman, and such other units as may subsequently be created;

2. The Board of Regents shall take appropriate steps to ensure that the establishment of the autonomous University of the Philippines at Los Baños shall aim at the speedy realization of the goals above indicated;

3. To facilitate this objective, the composition of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines System shall be as follows:

(a) The Secretary of Education as Chairman of the Board.

(b) The President of the University of the Philippines System as Vice-Chairman of the Board.

(c) The Undersecretary of Agriculture.

(d) The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education.

(e) The Chairman of the House Committee on Education.

(f) The Chancellors of the members universities of the System.

(g) The President of the U.P. Alumni Association.

(h) One Regent representing the Student Body.

(i) Six other Regents appointed by the President of the Philippines, at least four of whom are alumni of the University.

4. Act No. 1870, as amended, otherwise known as the Charter of the University of the Philippines, is hereby amended accordingly.

5. All Acts, parts of Acts, executive orders, ordinances, rules and regulations which are inconsistent with the provisions of this decree are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. cd

6. This decree shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 20th day of November, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Two.