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MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ Memorandum Order No. 307, August 23, 1995 ]

CREATING A SPECIAL TASK FORCE TO ASSIST THE BROWN & ROOT COMPANY IN THE PREPARATION AND PACKAGING OF THE BOHOL-CEBU WATER PIPELINE PROJECT UNDER THE B-O-T SCHEME OR ITS VARIATIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the State to ensure a continuous, adequate and economic supply of water and to adopt urgent and effective measures to address the water crisis which affects the health and well-being of the population, food production and industrialization process;

WHEREAS, Metro Cebu is experiencing a serious water shortage due to its small watershed areas, denudation of its forests and its booming economic development;

WHEREAS, there have been some proposals to develop new water supply sources for Metro Cebu but which have largely been problematic due to the distance from Cebu and to environmental constraints;

WHEREAS, Brown & Root Co., a U.S. company which is a world leader in the construction of underwater pipelines, has proposed and conducted a pre-feasibility study to source fresh water from Bohol and pipe the same to Metro Cebu through a 32-kilometer underwater pipe;

WHEREAS, initial findings of Brown & Root found the project to have adequate supply of fresh water, minimal impact on the local population at the source, entail a competitive cost per cubic meter, and is within the technical capability of the company;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby create a Task Force as follows:

Section 1. Composition. The Task Force, chaired by the Secretary of Public Works and Highways, shall be composed of the representatives from the following departments/agencies:

a. Metro Cebu Water District

b. National Water Resources Board

c. Flagship Committee

d. Bohol Provincial Government

e. Department of Finance

The Office of the Executive Secretary shall be represented in all the meetings of the Task Force

Section 2. Functions. The Task Force shall, in accordance with the provisions of the National Water Crisis Act of 1995, perform the following functions:

a. provide the forum for the presentation and evaluation of all Brown & Root findings, concerns and recommendations to the different government agencies, GOCCs, LGUs and other private institutions;

b. monitor the implementation of all preparatory technical, environmental and social acceptability aspects of the project;

assist in resolving conflicting issues and concerns among and between different government agencies in addressing the various aspects of the project;

d. to call on any department, agency or any instrumentality of the Government for assistance that may be needed in the accomplishment of its task; and

e. perform such other functions as may be deemed necessary and incidental to the successful implementation of the project.1aшphi1

Section 3. Technical Support. The Department of Public Works and Highways shall provide the technical, administrative and secretariat support to the Metro Cebu Water Supply Task Force.

Section 4. Effectivity. This Memorandum Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 23rd day of August, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Five.

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS

By the President:

(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation

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