Preamble
WHEREAS, following extensive public hearings in the national, regional and sectoral levels on a proposed Five-Year Social and Economic Development Plan for 1978 to 1982, a Ten-Year Development Plan for 1978 to 1987 and a Long-Term Development Plan up to the year 2000, the drafts of the aforesaid Plans were submitted for consideration to the Batasang Bayan during its session on August 27, 1977; WHEREAS, after due deliberation thereon, the Batasang Bayan in its Resolution No.68, dated August 27, 1977, resolved to give the National Government through the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) a vote of confidence to finalize the above-mentioned Plans and to recommend to the President the approval thereof provided that the Plans should place continued emphasis on self-reliance in basic needs, rural development and agrarian reform, expansion of industry including tourism, accelerated investments in economic and social infrastructure projects such as power, transport, irrigation and water supply, communication, education, hospital and health care, housing and other forms of social services and, in general on improving the quality of life of the people; WHEREAS, the Plans have been finalized and their substantive thrust follows the guidelines indicated by the Batasang Bayan, in that particular attention has devoted to rural development, self-reliance, national resource management, environment sanitation and, above all, social justice; WHEREAS, the Cabinet Committee created to prepare, review and evaluate the draft plans has accordingly recommended the approval of the same, during its meeting on September 15,1977; WHEREAS, it is also essential to imbue the Plans with the flexibility necessary to meet unexpected developments arising from the present uncertain condition of the world economy and to designate the institutional mechanism to effectuate that flexibility in the Plans; NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, and in accordance with the recommendation of the Batasang Bayan duly assembled as representative of the people, do hereby order and decree: