EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 803 May 21, 1982
ESTABLISHING AN INTEGRATED AREA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AGRICULTURAL SERVICES
WHEREAS, under the New Republic, national economic development shall be pursued with renewed dedication and determination;
WHEREAS, the provisions of adequate and timely agricultural services and inputs is essential to the attainment of the desired level of growth in the agriculture sector as well as self-sufficiency in food;
WHEREAS, while there are various government agencies responsible for the delivery of such agricultural services and input in the rural areas, there is no mechanism for securing the desired coordination and integration of their operations for any given area;
WHEREAS, there is therefore need to provided an effective administrative framework that will secure the integration and coordination of agricultural services and inputs and thus allow the government to more effectively respond to the requirements of development in any given rural area;
WHEREAS, it would be desirable to adopt the integrated area management concept as the appropriate mechanism for unifying government efforts at providing agricultural services;
WHEREAS, as a concomitant measure, there is need to preserve prime agricultural lands for the production of food and other crops and avoid their conversion into being used for non-agricultural purposes; and
WHEREAS, under Presidential Decree No. 1416 as amended, the President is empowered to undertake such organizational and related improvements as may be appropriate in the light of changing circumstances and new developments;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and the authority vested in me by Presidential Decree No. 1416 as amended, do hereby order and ordain:
Sec. 1. There is hereby established an integrated area management system for agricultural services which shall unify the operations of various government agencies involved in the delivery of agricultural services and inputs for any given area of operations. The desirability of its establishment is predicated on the rationale that the effective coordination of government efforts at providing essential farm services in the rural areas can best be attained if this were undertaken on a specific area basis.
The integrated area management system for agricultural services shall be managed through the administrative framework hereinbelow established and provided for.
Sec. 2. At the national level, the Ministry of Agriculture, as the agency primarily responsible for agricultural development, shall with the assistance of the National Food and Agriculture Council, formulate policies, plan, programs and guidelines, including the integrated implementation of the delivery of agricultural services and inputs. It shall be responsible for the overseeing, general coordination and monitoring of operations and activities relative thereto.
Sec. 3. At the regional level, a regional agricultural land classification committee is hereby created which shall be responsible for the identification of specific areas for agricultural purposes in the provinces within the region. The committee shall operate as a sub-committee of the Regional Development Council, and shall be composed of the Regional Director of the National Economic and Development Authority as Chairman, and the Regional Directors of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Human Settlements, the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Natural Resources as members.
In addition to the national level, the coordination of agricultural research programs and the conduct of agricultural training programs may be undertaken as well as at the regional level.
Sec. 4. The province shall be the focal point for effecting area integration in the delivery of agricultural services and inputs. The organizational framework at the provincial level shall be as follows:
(a) The provincial governors shall have the basic responsibility and the corresponding authority for the general coordination and supervision of the operations of the various agencies involved in the delivery of agricultural services and inputs within the province.
For this purpose, the national agencies involved shall cooperate with and instruct their provincial offices or field personnel to submit to the supervision of the governor as needed in order to realize an effective integrated area management system at the provincial level.
(b) There shall be established a Provincial Agricultural Council, which shall operate as a committee of the Provincial Development Council, to be headed by the governor. The Council shall serve as the mechanism for achieving coordination and harmonization of operations of agencies providing farm services and inputs in the province. It shall be responsible for providing advice to and developing operating policies for the guidance of the governor.
More, specifically, the Council shall, among others (1) prepare and operationalize an integrated agricultural development program for the province on the basis of approved related national policies and programs; indicating among others, the preferred commodity production patterns in the agricultural lands in the province; (2) determine the extension services and inputs needed for the effective implementation of the program and, where necessary, recommend measures to appropriate ministries or agencies to ensure adequate and timely provision of such services and inputs; (3) adopt a deployment scheme for the extension workers assigned to the province on the basis of acceptable standards; and (4) monitor and evaluate on a continuing basis the implementation of the program.
(c) The Provincial Agricultural Council shall be composed of the senior representatives of agencies responsible for the delivery of particular agricultural services and inputs, as follows:
(1) The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Natural Resources through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, as the agencies responsible for agricultural technical services, including crop and livestock production and protection, cooperatives, fisheries development, and assistance to farmers/producers in the availment of credit;
(2) The National Irrigation Administration Farms Systems Development Corporation, and Ministry of Public Works and Highways as the agencies responsible for irrigation services;
(3) The Philippine National Bank, Development Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines, Agricultural Credit Administration, and a representative of a provincial rural banks association, if there is any in the province, as the agencies responsible for providing agricultural credit;
(4) The Ministry of Local Government together with the Ministry of Public Works and Highways, as the agencies responsible for farm to market roads;
(5) The National Food Authority as the agency responsible for agricultural marketing; and
(6) Whenever present within the province, specialized agencies such as the Ministry of Agrarian Reform, National Council on Integrated Area Development, Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration, Philippine Tobacco Administration, Philippine Coconut Authority, Philippine Sugar Commission, and Fiber Development Authority. lawphi1.net
(d) The provincial governor shall be assisted by a provincial agricultural executive officer who shall be responsible to, and serve as the action officer of the Provincial Agricultural Council in the day-to-day coordination of operations and activities pertaining to the delivery of agricultural services and inputs by the various agencies concerned. The provincial governor, with the concurrence of the Minister of Agriculture, shall designate the provincial agricultural executive officer, preferably the provincial agriculturist.
Sec. 5. At the city, municipal and barangay levels, there shall be city/municipal agricultural action officers to be designated by the provincial governor from, as a general rule, among the appropriate senior national government officials in the city/municipality, who shall be under overall supervision and control of the provincial agricultural executive officer; Provided, That the Governor may, with the concurrence of the Minister of Agriculture, choose the city/municipal mayor as the agricultural action officer. They shall be responsible for the direct coordination of agricultural extension workers of all agencies assigned to the various barangays comprising the city/municipality. lawphi1.net
They shall be responsible, among others, for (1) the direct coordination and supervision of the implementation of the pertinent portion of the provincial agricultural development program applicable to the city/municipality; (2) the assignment of extension workers to the barangays comprising the city/municipality in accordance with the deployment plan adopted by the Provincial Agricultural Council; (3) the identification of operational problems, including measures that may be necessary for their solution, and for this purpose, refer as needed matters for appropriate action at the provincial level; and (4) the performance of such other related functions that may be assigned to them.
Sec. 6. The Minister of Agriculture is hereby authorized to issue the necessary orders and regulations to implement the provisions of this Executive Order.
Sec. 7. All laws, decrees, orders, proclamations, rules, regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 8. Any portion or provision of this Executive Order that may be declared unconstitutional shall not have the effect of nullifying the other provisions thereof: Provided, That, such remaining portions can still stand and be given effect in their entirety to accomplish the objectives of this Executive order.
Sec. 9. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila, this 21st day of May, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-two.
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