Linking the Nutrition, Tree-Planting and Alay-Tanim Programs

August 15, 1977

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 586

WHEREAS, the objectives of the health and nutrition programs can be accelerated with an abundance of fruits;

WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 1153 requires every citizen of the Philippines at least ten (10) years of age to plant trees;

WHEREAS, the Department of Education and Culture through its School Health Project Unit, has initiated in 1975, the Alay-Tanim program, a continuing tree planting and maintenance program that involves all public and private schools; cd i

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, do hereby issue the following instructions:

1. The Secretary of Education and Culture, through the School Health Project Unit, shall:

a. Adopt "Fruits for Every Filipino Child" as the goal of Alay-Tanim.

b. Review and revise as necessary, the rules and regulations of Alay-Tanim, so as to make these consistent and supportive of Presidential Decree No. 1153.

c. Direct all public and private schools with adequate grounds or other suitable area, to accelerate the development of their respective school orchards, by planting fruit trees suitable to the locality and by providing proper care and maintenance for said orchards. acd

d. Conduct yearly contests on the best Alay-Tanim Project with prizes to be awarded to one (1) school per region and to three (3) schools as national winners.

2. The Secretary of Public Highways and the Secretary of Natural Resources shall assist in planning and locating planting sites from among suitable roadsides and other public lands. The Secretary of Public Highways shall improve roads leading to and otherwise render accessible sites identified by schools for their Alay-Tanim programs. cd

3. The Secretary of Natural Resources shall supply seedlings to the schools and shall give necessary guidance and assistance in the implementation of the program.

4. The Secretary of Public Works shall allocate every year beginning in 1977, from the school building program and with construction cost, one (1) prefabricated school house each for every regional and national school prize-winner in the Alay-Tanim Contest as provided for in 1-d of these Instructions.

5. The Acting Commissioner of the Budget shall release the sum of five hundred thousand pesos or as much as may be necessary during each school year, beginning with school year 1977–1978, for the implementation of the Alay-Tanim program.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 15th day of August, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Seven. casia