WHEREAS, agricultural growth, which embodies the
development of our farm, forest, and fishery resources, is a matter of
national concern;
WHEREAS, in order to attain the national goals in
agricultural growth and development, research is necessary to determine
the alternative means of achieving these goals or to identify the best
means among the alternatives;
WHEREAS, agricultural research, which includes
forestry and fisheries, is a systematic method of joining and applying
knowledge efficiently not only to the biological, physical, and economic
phases of producing, processing, and distributing farm, forest, and
fishery products, but also in improving consumer health and nutrition,
as well as the social and economic aspects of rural living;
WHEREAS, the application of better agricultural
technology arising out of research would directly benefit not only the
rural population which comprises two-thirds of the total Philippine
population, but also a major segment of the urban sector;
WHEREAS, the national agricultural research program
must not only be sensitive to the current needs of an advancing and
developing agriculture but should also be forward-looking if it is to
make most effective use of available money and manpower;
WHEREAS, to effectively implement the national
agricultural research program, it is necessary to develop a research
capability in terms of manpower, facilities, funding, and programs;
WHEREAS, in integrated fashion, the Philippic
Government has initiated and implemented two closely-related studies for
the purpose of reviewing the existing national agricultural research
operations and developing a responsive and effective national system for
agricultural research;
WHEREAS, there is an urgent need for a coordinating
agency that will oversee, unify, and integrate the planning,
administration, and implementation of the Government's agricultural
research program;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, 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, in order to effect
the desired changes and reforms in the social, economic, and political
structure of the country, do hereby create the Philippine Council for
Agricultural Research (PCAR) with the following major functions and
powers:
(a) Define goals, purposes, and scope of research necessary to
support progressive development of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
for the nation on a continuing basis;
(b) Using the basic guidelines of relevance, excellence, and
cooperation, develop the national agricultural research program based on
a multi-disciplinary, inter-agency, and system approach for the various
component commodities;
(c) Establish a system of priorities for agriculture, forestry, and
fisheries research and provide meaningful mechanisms for updating these
priorities;
(d) Develop and implement a fund-generating strategy for supporting
agricultural research;
(e) Program the allocation of all Government revenue earmarked for
agricultural research to implement a dynamic national agricultural
research program;
(f) Provide the mechanism for assessment of progress and updating the
national agricultural research program;
(g) Establish and provide support for a national network of centers of
excellence for the various commodity research programs by drawing from
the facilities of cooperating universities and colleges and other
research agencies and linking these closely with selected PCAR research
centers and stations;
(h) Develop a mechanism for full communication among workers in
research, extension, education, and national development;
(i) Establish a repository for research information in agriculture,
forestry and fisheries;
(j) Provide for a systematic program of agricultural research manpower
development and improvement;
(k) Provide for appropriate incentives to encourage topnotch research
workers to remain working in their respective areas of agricultural
research; and
(l) It shall have the power and authority to call on any department,
bureau, office, agency, state university or college, commodity
institute, and other instrumentalities of the Government for assistance
in the form of personnel, facilities, and other resources as the need
arises in the discharge of its functions.
For administrative purposes, the Philippine Council for Agricultural
Research is attached to the Department of Agricultural and Natural
Resources.
The Council shall be composed of the following officials:
1.
The Chairman National
Science Development Board
Chairman
2.
The Secretary of Agriculture and
Natural Resources
Vice-Chairman
3.
The Budget Commissioner
4.
A Representative of the National
Economic Development Authority
5.
The President, Association of
Colleges of Agriculture of the Philippines
6.
The Chancellor, University of the
Philippines at Los Baños
7.
One outstanding leader in
agricultural business to be appointed by the President upon
recommendation of the PCAR Governing Council.
The policies and guidelines formulated by the Council shall be
implemented by a Secretariat headed by a Director-General who shall be
assisted by two Deputy Director-Generals, technical research directors,
and commodity research program leaders who shall be designated by the
Council and composed of personnel assigned and/or detailed to PCAR from
the different departments, bureaus, state universities or colleges,
commodity institutes, offices, agencies, and other instrumentalities of
the Government.
The basic planning and coordination of the national agricultural
research program shall rest on the various Commodity Research Planning
and Implementation Teams. The composition of these Teams shall be
determined on an interdisciplinary basis with the guiding principle that
the best possible expertise in the country should be drafted into these
Teams irrespective of what agency they came from.
For the purpose of ensuring maximum quality, competence, and
effectiveness of the technical commodity research programs of PCAR, a
Technical Program Planning and Review Board composed of top quality
technical men, is authorized to be constituted to assist the PCAR
Director-General. The members of the PCAR Technical Program Planning and
Review Board shall be appointed by the Council.
The Philippine Council for Agricultural Research is authorized to pay
honoraria and to make research grants.
Selected field stations, personnel, facilities, and funds of the
Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, as may be later
identified by the Council with the concurrence of the Secretary of
Agriculture and Natural Resources, are hereby transferred to the
operational control of the Council.
Research personnel, facilities, and other research resources which
belong to universities, colleges, and commodity institutes shall be
harnessed on a contract basis in support of the PCAR agricultural
research program. Where needed, such research resources would likewise
be available for development assistance as determined by the PCAR
Governing Council.
The Council is hereby directed to develop appropriate rules and
regulations governing technical personnel, accounting and auditing
procedures for research funds, and research program budgeting. When
approved by the Council, such rules and regulations mentioned above
shall carry the force of law.
The Council shall formulate the national long term and annual
programs in agricultural research. All government revenue earmarked for
agricultural research (including research in forestry and fisheries),
whether coming from regular budget appropriations or tax levies on
specific commodities, or from the National Science Development Board,
should be programmed by the Philippine Council for Agricultural
Research. Beginning July 1, 1973, no funds earmarked for agricultural
research shall be released by the Budget Commission or other funding
agencies for research activities in PCAR research centers and stations,
universities, colleges, and other research agencies unless these were
integrated as a part of the national agricultural research program.
However, a small reserve should be set aside to provide for contingency
allocations to finance research covering immediate problems of an
emergency nature that might arise during a given year.
The Council is hereby authorized to draw from and negotiate for
funds, not otherwise specifically allocated, of the National Economic
Council, National Food and Agriculture Council, National Science
Development Board, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
agricultural institutions, and all other possible fund sources, for the
establishment, operational and program expenses of the Philippine
Council for Agricultural Research.
All income and revenue that shall accrue from the operations of PCAR
research programs shall be considered as automatic appropriations for
subsequent PCAR activities.
The Council shall submit to the President periodic reports of its
activities.
All acts, parts of acts, executive order, ordinances, rules and
regulations which are inconsistent with the provisions of this
Presidential Decree are hereby repealed, amended, or modified
accordingly.
Done in the City of Manila, this 10th day of November, in the year of
Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-two.
(Sgd.) FERDINAND E.
MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines
By the President:
(Sgd.) ALEJANDRO MELCHOR
Executive Secretary