Preamble
WHEREAS, under Section 5 of Presidential Decree No. 705, the Bureau of Forest Development is vested with authority and jurisdiction over all forest lands including watershed reservations; WHEREAS, watershed areas are critical and essential not only to the life-span of hydroelectric dams and other water-oriented projects of the government but also to its flood control and other environmental or ecological programs; WHEREAS, in view of the foregoing reasons and in order to curtail the continuing destruction, denudation and appropriation of watershed areas by private parties, it is imperative that inalienable and non-disposable character be better assured, and to this end, more stringent measures adopted for their better protection, development, management and rehabilitation; WHEREAS, under Presidential Decree No. 1206 the Ministry of Energy has been mandated to formulate and implement the government's policies, plans and programs on the development of energy resources of all kinds; and WHEREAS, in pursuance of its aforestated functions the Ministry of Energy will be in a better position to afford the desired protection, development, management and rehabilitation of watershed areas. NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree the following: