Memorandum Order No. 476 Creation of Task Force To Address Social Concerns in the Implementation of Agus III Hydroelectric Project

April 20, 1998

MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 476

CREATING A TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS THE SOCIAL CONCERNS LEADING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGUS III HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT UNDER THE BOT SCHEME OR ITS OTHER VARIATIONS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

There is hereby created a Task Force to assist in resolving conflicting social issues and concerns among and between different cultural communities relative to the implementation of the Agus III Hydroelectric Project. The Task Force shall be composed of the following: prcd

1. Chairman, Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development — Chairman;

2. Secretary, Department of Energy — Co-Chair;

and the senior representatives of the following offices:

3. Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)

4. Province of Lanao del Norte

5. Province of Lanao del Sur

6. National Power Corporation

7. Department of Environment and Natural Resources

8. Department of Public Works and Highways

9. Department of Finance

10. National Economic and Development Authority

11. National Irrigation Administration

12. Coordinating Council of the Philippine Assistance Program

13. Presidential Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects

The Task Force shall:

a. monitor and initiate all preparatory social engineering, environmental and social acceptability aspects of the project;

b. be authorized to call on any department, bureau or agency of the government including local government units and government owned and controlled corporations for assistance as it may need in the accomplishment of its task;

c. coordinate and enter into a joint undertaking with the various entities for the purpose of rehabilitating the watershed area in close cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The Department of Energy, the National Power Corporation and the Province of Lanao del Norte shall continue to provide the Secretariat support for the Task Force.

This Memorandum Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 20th day of April, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Eight.