MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
[ EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 128, May 06, 1968 ]
PROVIDING FOR THE IMPLEMENTING DETAILS OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED 5185, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE DECENTRALIZATION ACT OF 1967, INSOFAR AS THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE FIELD AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORK OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED
WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 5185, otherwise known as the Decentralization Act of 1967, sets forth the policy of the State to transform local governments gradually into effective instruments through which the people can, in a most genuine fashion, govern themselves and work out their own destines;
WHEREAS, in the pursuit of such State policy, local governments are empowered to undertake field agricultural extension work and to appoint the needed personnel, subject to the conditions provided for therein and the Civil Service Law and Rules;
WHEREAS, said field agricultural extension work to be undertaken by the local governments shall assist or supplement existing national programs or services in their respective areas of jurisdiction, such extension work to be administered in accordance with the policies andprograms that the Agricultural Productivity Commission shall promulgate, and the national government to render technical, financial and other assistance to local governments in connection with such activity.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, byvirtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby promulgate the following policies and guidelines for immediate implementation.
ARTICLE I
FUNCTION TO BE UNDERTAKEN
Section 1. The field agricultural extension work provided under Commonwealth Act No. 85, as amended by Republic Act No. 680, and Republic Act No. 3844, otherwise known as the Agricultural Land Reform Code, which is being administered by the national government through the Agricultural Productivity Commission may, pursuant to Republic Act No. 5185, also be undertaken by the provincial and city governments whenever deemed to be necessary by the provincial and municipal boards or city councils to assist or supplement existing national programs or services in their respective areas of jurisdiction by passing or enacting a resolution for the purpose and furnishing copies thereof to the national offices concerned.
“Agricultural extension” as used herein shall mean the diffusion of useful and practical information, knowledge and skills on agriculture, soil conservation, livestock, fisheries, forest conservation, public lands and natural resources laws, home economics and rural life, in order to encourage their application through field demonstration, lectures and conferences, publications and other means of imparting information; stimulation, promotion and organization of agricultural cooperatives and encouragement in the formation and growth of private associations, study clubs, committees and other groups of farmers and members of their family that will enhance their social and economic conditions.
“Act” as used herein shall refer to the Decentralization Act of 1967.
Section 2. To enable the provincial governments to undertake field agricultural extension work, they shall retain the amounts heretofore contributed by provincial and municipal governments to the national government for field agricultural extension work, which shall accrue to the general fund of the province, provided that at least an equivalent amount shall be appropriated by the provincial government for agricultural extension work in accordance with the Act. City governments undertaking the same activity shall appropriate the necessary funds therefor.1a⍵⍴h!1 The appropriations which may be set aside by the local governments for the purpose shall be without prejudice to such assistance as may be extended by the national government pursuant to law and as provided in Article IV hereof.
ARTICLE II
APPOINTMENT AND SALARY OF FIELD AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION PERSONNEL
Section 3. Upon the effectivity of the Act, all personnel in the field agricultural extension service whose salaries are paid out of the amounts contributed by the provincial and municipal governments to the Agricultural Fund shall be observed by provinces or municipalities where they are regularly or presently assigned: Provided, however, That no personnel heretofore mentioned shall be laid off as a consequence hereof: Provided, further, That in cases of subsequent vacancies or newly created positions, the same shall be filled in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Act and the Civil Service Law and Rules: And provided, finally, That the Agricultural Productivity Commissioner may recommend to the Commissioner of Civil Service qualified nationally or locally paid extension personnel for certification to fill vacancies.
The Commissioner of Civil Service may prescribe additional criteria and policies which shall be observed in the ranking of personnel.1a⍵⍴h!1 The Agricultural Productivity Commissioner may make his recommendations and suggestions on this matter to the Commissioner of Civil Service. Such ranking shall include personnel performing extension work on agriculture, livestock, fisheries, home economics, farm youth or 4-H, agricultural cooperatives and other related activities in the national and local extension services.
Section 4. To pursue the merit and fitness principle under the Constitution and Section 4 of the Act, install a progressive public personnel administration and promote professionalization in the field agricultural extension service, the Agricultural Productivity Commission shall establish a ranking of provincial and city agriculturists and their respective assistants, and other technical extension officials and employees paid by the national and local governments, subject to approval by the Commissioner of Civil Service, and in accordance therewith, incumbent provincial agriculturists and their assistants entirely paid out of the national fund may be reassigned to provinces or cities suited to their rank, provided that the ranking shall be based on the class of positions and their relative level and similarity, educational qualification, seniority, performance, civil service eligibility, and other supplementary qualifications that may be prescribed pursuant to the preceding section.
Section 5. Entrance and promotional qualification standards for personnel performing purely technical and administrative supervisory technical extension work shall be prescribed by the Agricultural Productivity Commissioner which shall be applicable to both local and national personnel, subject to Civil Service Law and Rules and other existing laws.1a⍵⍴h!1 To ensure the recruitment of persons with technical competence, physical capability and positive attitude towards work, the Commissioner shall initiate a pre-service, induction and orientation training. Training of personnel for appointment in the field extension work undertaken by local governments may be made under such arrangement as said Commissioner and the local Executive may enter into.
Appointment and promotion in the agricultural extension service shall not be limited to the respective local or national extension services but may be made from one to the other in accordance with the ranging provided in Section 4and the Civil Service Law and Rules.
Section 6. The salary of personnel in the provincial and city field agricultural extension services undertaken by local governments shall be paid out of local funds.
ARTICLE III
ADMINISTRATION OF THE FIELD AGRICULTURE EXTENSION SERVICE
Section 7. The provincial or city agriculturists, as the case may be, shall exercise direction and administrative management over the field agricultural extension service undertaken by the provincial or city government, subject to the supervision of the Agricultural Productivity Commissioner, to the provisions of the Act, other applicable laws, this order and the policies, programs and guidelines formulated by the Agricultural Productivity Commission from time to time.
The provincial or city agriculturist, whether paid by the national or local government, shall, in addition to his present functions, exercise immediate supervision over personnel appointed and assigned by the local Executive concerned and also over extension workers appointed and assigned by the national office to the province or city. In the latter case, the Agricultural Productivity Commissioner shall issue an order designating said provincial or city agriculturist as office head and representative of the national agency. If for lack of funds or other causes the local government is unable to provide for the position of provincial or city agriculturist, the national government through the Commissioner shall assign one paid out of the national fund whose rank is suited to the class of the province or city, and in such case, the local Executive concerned is authorized to designate such official as office head of the local extension service.
The provincial and city agriculturists are authorized to administer in their respective areas of jurisdiction funds appropriated by the provincial boards and municipal boards or city councils out of the general fund of the province or city, as well as funds in the form of assistance from the national agency, intended for field agricultural extension work.
In no case shall there be two provincial or city agriculturists and assistant office heads, and supervisors for agriculture, home economics, farm youth or 4-H, farm cooperatives and other field agricultural extension projects or activities for the same jurisdictional area coming from the national and local levels of government, except where ft special project is introduced and undertaken within such particular jurisdiction, in which case the administrative and jurisdictional relationship between the head of said project and the chief of the local extension service shall be defined by the Agricultural Productivity Commissioner.
Section 8. The field agricultural extension work undertaken by local governments shall assist and supplement that of the national government and shall be under the supervision of the Agricultural Productivity Commission. To achieve better coordination and effective working arrangement and harmonize the programs of both the national and local governments for the attainment or furtherance of the national objective or goal, agreements may be entered into by the Commissioner with the local Executive.
For the guidance of local officials and for unity and integration of services and activities and uniformity in general standards, policies in the form of administrative issuances shall be laid down by the Agricultural Productivity Commissioner, subject to approval by the President.
Section 9. The Agricultural Productivity Commissioner shall, within sixty days before the start of the fiscal year, evaluate past performance of national and local field agricultural extension work and formulate and update the program of work for national and local levels in accordance with established national priorities.
The Commissioner or his representative shall work out the details of said program with local governments which shall contain, among other things, the operational plan, manpower needs, fiscal requirements, and the expected contribution from the national and local governments. Said program shall be presented by the local office head to the local legislative body for consideration within the same period of sixty days.
Section 10. The provincial or city agriculturist may call upon any local or national agency within his jurisdiction in the preparation and implementation of the program, and shall extend full cooperation to rural development projects and activities undertaken by the national government.
Section 11. Local governments shall continue to provide the national and local field agricultural extension services with office space, facilities, supplies and materials, furniture and equipment, and clerical assistance in accordance with and as required by existing laws.
They may also allow, if local funds are available, travelling expanses to nationally paid extension personnel assigned in their respective jurisdiction.
ARTICLE IV
FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL AND OTHER ASSISTANCE
Section 12. In order that the field agricultural extension programs or services of local governments can be carried out effectively, the national government shall continue to extend financial, technical and other assistance as provided by law and to such agreement as the local Executive end the Commissioner may enter into.
The financial assistance to the provincial or city government shall, among other things, consist of travelling expenses of personnel paid out of local funds while attending conferences, seminars, in-service trainings, scholarship, and training locally and abroad in connection with their work; repair and maintenance of buildings and equipment; improvement of demonstration stations used exclusively for extension work; payment of salaries and wages for field agricultural extension personnel in provinces and cities which cannot defray the same; and for expenses on area development projects.
The technical and other assistance shall consist of assignment of experts, technicians and administrative personnel to support the local field agricultural extension service, training of locally paid personnel, transportation facilities, farm machineries, fertilizers, insecticides, planting materials and the like.
Section 13. All aids or assistance that may be extended by the national government to the local governments shall be expended or utilized in accordance with the purpose or purposes for which the same has been made, a periodic report on which shall be submitted by the provincial or city agriculturist to the Agricultural Productivity Commission.
ARTICLE V
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 14. The local Executive shell organize the local field agricultural extension service to make it as an effective planning and coordinating office of the national and local governments for rural development, subject to the provisions of the Act, other applicable laws and this order.
Section 15. Officials and employees paid by the national government assigned in any province or city in accordance with the provisions hereof shall continue to be under the administrative control and supervision of the Agricultural Productivity Commission. Their suspension, removal or transfer and personnel action affecting them shall be subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Law and Rules.
Section 16. All properties purchased out of the Agricultural Fund referred to in Commonwealth Act No. 85, as amended, which are being used for field agricultural extension services within the province shall remain under the administration and control of the Agricultural Productivity Commission, subject to such agreement as the Agricultural Productivity Commissioner and the local Executive may enter into.
Section 17. All executive orders, administrative orders end other rules and regulations inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Done in the City of Manila, this 6th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and sixty-eight.
(SGD.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President of the Philippines
By the President:
(SGD.) JOSE J. LEIDO, JR.
Acting Executive Secretary
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