Presidential Decree No. 607 (PD 607) — Creating the Forest Research Institute in the Department of Natural Resources
WHEREAS, the continuous management, development and
utilization of the forest resources are indispensable to the economic
development of the country and social well-being of the Filipino people;
WHEREAS, scientific forest management, rational development
and vigilant protection are essential to the continuous productivity
and economic utilization of these resources;
WHEREAS, Government efforts in the scientific treatment of
these forests have been invariably inadequate and inappropriate to cope
with the accelerating rate of utilization, resulting in the increasing
hectarage of unproductive forests and eroded lands, decreasing areas of
commercial forests and raising incidence of damaged watersheds, ravaged
wildlife sanctuaries, and abused grazing lands;
WHEREAS, if this critical trend continues unabated and
unless forest management, development, and protection methodologies are
improved through intensified forest biological and economic research, it
is inevitable that these valuable resources will no longer be able to
meet the increasing demands of the growing population and the country's
economic development needs;
WHEREAS, the root cause of this situation is the grave
inadequacy of forest research which is the basis for forest management,
development and protection practices;
WHEREAS, the current accelerated wood utilization research
should be properly accompanied by an equally aggressive forest
production and harvesting research in order to attain a balance
necessary for the forest resource to contribute its maximum share to the
economic development of the country;
WHEREAS, in order to initiate and maintain an effective
research program attuned to the needs of forest management, production
and protection, it is necessary to set up a semi-autonomous organization
free from the administrative complexities of bureaucratic agencies.
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:
SECTION 1. A Forest Research Institute, hereinafter referred
to as FORI is hereby created in the Department of Natural Resources to
integrate and to conduct forest production and harvesting researches all
over the country in line with national forestry research program
developed by the Philippine Council for Agricultural Research (PCAR); Provided,
That policy-oriented economic research of the Bureau of Forest
Development shall remain with the said Bureau.
SEC. 2. All forest research functions of the Bureau of
Forest Development, including applicable appropriations, records,
equipment, property and qualified personnel, except the economic and
organization researches being conducted by it for the purposes of
planning, programming and policy formulation, are hereby transferred to
the FORI. In order to avoid jurisdictional conflict in the conduct of
field research the FORI and the Bureau of Forest Development shall draw
up a memorandum of agreement regarding working arrangements and other
conditions as may be necessary to ensure the smooth operation and
implementation of forest research programs.
SEC. 3. There is hereby created a Board of Trustees,
hereinafter referred to as Board, which shall be the policy-making and
governing body of the FORI, to be composed of:
a.
Secretary of Natural Resources
Chairman
b.
Director General, Philippine Council for Agricultural
Research.
Member
c.
Director, Bureau of Forest Development
Member
d.
Dean, U.P. College of Forestry
Member
e.
Commissioner, Forest Products Research and Industries
Development Commission.
Member
f.
President, Philippine Forest Research Society
Member
g.
Director, Forestry Research Division, Philippine Council for
Agricultural Research
Member
h.
Two (2) representatives of the Forestry "Sector who shall be
appointed by the Secretary of Natural Resources, upon recommendation of
the wood industry association
Member
SEC. 4. The Board shall meet before the end of each fiscal
year to deliberate and approve the ensuing year's research and budgetary
programs. It may also meet anytime upon call by the Chairman to
deliberate on urgent matters, including, but not limited to, the
consideration of appointments of personnel, policy changes and matters
requiring immediate attention.
SEC. 5. The Board is hereby authorized to formulate
appropriate rules and regulations governing the operations of FORI,
including the staffing and the remunerations or compensation of its
officers and employees. It is likewise authorized to construct the
necessary research and office buildings and facilities and to acquire or
purchase the necessary site or equipment.
SEC. 6. The Board shall establish, for the efficient and
effective implementation of the research programs of the FORI, at least
five (5) Forest Experiment Stations or Regional Research Centers the
location of which shall be representative of each climatic type.
SEC. 7. The FORI shall be headed by a Director, who shall be
assisted by an Assistant Director. The Director of the PCAR Forestry
Research Division shall be the ex-officio Director of the FORI.
The Assistant Director shall be appointed by the Board and must have
the following qualifications:
A natural-born citizens of the Philippines;
A holder of at least a Master of Science in Forestry degree or
its equivalent in experience as determined by the Board;
Has at least ten (10) years experience in Forestry research and
administration.
SEC. 8. The Director shall be charged with all the
administrative and supervisory functions of the FORI, as well as the
implementation of the policies and programs adopted by the Board.
SEC. 9. The Director shall, except as otherwise provided
for herein, appoint the officers and employees of the FORI, subject to
the approval of the Board: Provided, That priority shall be given
to qualified personnel of the Bureau of Forest Development.
SEC. 10. The Director may, with the approval of the Board,
create as many divisions and sections in such divisions as may be
necessary. He shall recommend to the Board the establishment of
additional experiment stations or research centers as may be required in
carrying out effectively its research program.
SEC. 11. Aside from general appropriations as may be
provided by law, there shall be collected the amount of P1.00 for every
cubic meter of timber cut for commercial purposes inside public forests
and other forested lands to be used or expended strictly for forest
research under the FORI in accordance with the provisions of this
Decree, and the policies and research and budgetary programs adopted by
the Board. The amount shall be collected by the Bureau of Forest
Development which shall remit to the National Treasury its monthly
collection to form a Special Fund from which 90% shall be credited to
the account of FORI and 10% to the Bureau of Forest Development to
maintain the latter's policy-oriented and economic researches: Provided,
That the imposition of this amount shall commence only after Forestry
Administrative Order No. 64, series of 1972, shall have been revoked or
superseded by law or subsequent order.
SEC. 12. The Board shall promulgate such rules,
regulations, definitions and instructions for the effective
implementation of the provisions of this Decree.
SEC. 13. Should any of the provisions herein be
subsequently declared unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the
validity or legality of the other provisions.
SEC. 14. All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and
regulations, or any part thereof which are inconsistent herewith are
hereby revoked or amended accordingly.
SEC. 15. This Decree shall take effect upon approval.
Done in the City of Manila, this 18th 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).
