WHEREAS, it is the concern of the New Society to emancipate
tillers of the soil from their bondage of tenancy and to encourage them to
produce more food crops to attain self-sufficiency by the adoption of modern
farm-practices through the utilization of low-cost hand tractors;
WHEREAS, the Philippines has the lowest rate of farm
mechanization in the world, as reflected in the following facts: Japan — 3.5
deployed horsepower per hectare; U.S. & Europe — 3 h.p.; Taiwan — 2 h.p.;
Asia — 0.9 h.p. and Philippines — 0.9 h.p.;
WHEREAS, the local sources of hand tractors cannot supply
the immediate needs of the emancipated farmers involved in the Masagana 99 and
the Palayan Ng Bayan Programs of the Government; and
WHEREAS, the immediate procurement of hand tractors will
accelerate the achievement of government goals in food production;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution as
Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to
Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1, dated
September 22, 1972, as amended, do hereby order and decree that the sum of One
Hundred Forty Million Pesos is hereby appropriated to the Department of Agrarian
Reform out of which twenty million pesos shall be programmed for FY 1973-74 and
the balance shall be programmed in like amounts annually thereafter for six (6)
years to finance the cost of acquisition and related cost of 5,000 units of hand
tractors for resale at reasonable cost to the emancipated farmers in areas
covered by Presidential Decree No. 27 to meet the requirements of Masagana 99
and the Palayan Ng Bayan Programs of the Government.
The Department of Agrarian Reform shall formulate the rules and regulations
to cover the distribution of these hand tractors and the collection of their
amortization.
This Decree shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila, this 6th day of September, in the year of Our
Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.
(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines
By the President:
(Sgd.) ROBERTO V. REYES
Assistant Executive Secretary