Preamble
WHEREAS, under Presidential Decree No. 705, jurisdiction and authority over all forest lands, grazing lands, and all forest reservations, including watershed reservations presently administered by other government agencies or instrumentalities is vested in the Ministry of Natural Resources thru the Bureau of Forest Development; WHEREAS, under Presidential Decree No. 1515, jurisdiction; control and regulation over critical watershed areas and reservations proclaimed and thereafter proclaimed as such by the President of the Philippines which are essential to water-based power projects is vested in the Ministry of Energy; WHEREAS, the Ministry of Energy under its mandate to formulate and implement the government's policies, plans and programs on the development of indigenous energy resources should contribute to the desired protection, development, management and rehabilitation of watershed and forest reservations/areas; WHEREAS, in the pursuance of the aforecited functions for implementing national objectives, only watershed areas and reservations supporting operational water-based power projects over which jurisdiction, control and regulation shall be vested in the Ministry of Energy; 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: