Establishment of Five Additional Regional Protection Centers of the Bureau of Plant Industry

February 8, 1980

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 987

WHEREAS, the government is pursuing an intensified food production program to ensure an adequate food supply and higher standard of living for the people, thus sustain the socio-economic growth of the country;

WHEREAS, crop protection is vital to the success of the government's intensified food production programs not only for domestic consumption but likewise for export purposes;

WHEREAS, food and commercial crop losses due to pests and diseases amount to hundreds of millions of pesos annually;

WHEREAS, there is no systematic effort exerted towards meeting the total pest control requirements of the country, and therefore there is an imperative need to institutionalize the research and field extension forces in pest and disease control work into an integrated, nationwide crop protection network towards self-reliance;

WHEREAS, on the whole, there is now an urgent necessity for a coordinated and systematic approach to the country's pest and disease control problems;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, do hereby order the following: acd

1. The establishment of five (5) Regional Crop Protection Centers of the Bureau of Plant Industry which will serve the research, extension and protection needs of the geographic areas they encompass in addition to the seven existing crop protection centers to complete the national networks. The locations of the additional regional centers are as follows:

a) San Mateo, Isabela for Region No. 2

b) Los Ba√±os, Laguna for Region No. 4

c) Mandaue City for Region No. 7

d) Molave, Zamboanga del Sur for Region No. 9

e) Davao City for Region No. 11

2. The specific functions of the Regional Crop Protection Centers are:

a. To undertake problem analyses, developmental research and planning required to develop crop protection systems against pest of major economic crops.

b. To undertake information exchange and extension to provide farmers and the public with coordinated information about the varied facets of pest control and to emphasize the urgent need for safe and effective pest control practices. aisa dc

c. To establish adequate linkage between research and operational phases at the farm level in order to ensure that the changing research needs of operational activities are met and that operational activities are based on the most recent and applicable research findings.

3. The Center shall be headed by a Director who shall be appointed/designated by the Director of Plant Industry upon the recommendation of the Chief, Crop Protection Division. The said official shall be directly responsible to the Director of Plant Industry. He shall exercise authority and be responsible for the Center's overall operations.

4. The Centers are hereby authorized to undertake construction of buildings and other facilities and to purchase local or imported equipment and supplies through the Bureau of Plant Industry as may be necessary to carry out its functions.Further,the Centers shall be exempted from taxes, and other duties for equipment, supplies and materials purchased abroad when not available locally on favorable terms.

5. The twelve Regional Crop Protection Centers which are strategically located throughout the country shall be responsible for all scientific and technical informations and research facilities and shall have an effective field of network in crop protection to be provided to the farmers in their respective regions.

This Letter of Instructions takes effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 8th day of February, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty.