Presidential Decree No. 602 (PD 602) — Establishing Oil Pollution Operations Center in the Philippine Coast Guard Headquarters.
WHEREAS, environmental pollution and contamination are
increasing at an alarming rate;
WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to prevent, mitigate or
eliminate the increasing damages to marine resources as a result of
pollution;
WHEREAS, the dangers of major oil spills are increasing with
the increase of the size and number of oil tankers traversing waters
close to the Philippines;
WHEREAS, the Philippines is not yet fully prepared to handle
major oil spills which are likely to happen in the future;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution,
do hereby decree and order the establishment of a National Operations
Center for Oil Pollution in the Philippine Coast Guard Headquarter.
Title.
SEC. 1. Title. — This Decree shall be known as the
National Oil Pollution Operations Center Decree.
Assistance from other Agencies.
SEC. 2. Assistance from other Agencies. — The Center
may call upon any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality
of the government for such assistance as it may need in the form of
personnel, facilities and other resources.
Direct Negotiation.
SEC. 3. Direct Negotiation. — The Philippine Coast
Guard may negotiate directly with local companies which have oil
containment and recovery facilities for the use of such equipment in
combating oil pollution.
ASEAN Point of Contact.
SEC. 4. ASEAN Point of Contact. — The Center shall be
the point of contact with similar national operations centers of ASEAN
member countries and shall cause, when necessary, the immediate call for
assistance from such countries to help contain oil pollution. The
Center shall, similarly, respond to call for assistance by ASEAN member
countries.
Effectivity.
SEC. 5. Effectivity. — This Decree shall take effect
immediately
Done in the City of Manila, this 9th day of December, in the year
of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-four.
(Sgd.)
FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President of the Philippines
By the President:
(Sgd.)
ALEJANDRO MELCHOR
Executive Secretary
Source: Supreme Court E-Library, Republic of the Philippines. Philippine laws are public documents (works of the government).
