Preamble
WHEREAS, the construction, rehabilitation, betterment, improvement and maintenance of rural roads and bridges are of paramount importance, as they are the traffic generators that provide the link to the main arteries of transportation from the rural to the urban areas; WHEREAS, the speedy and efficient construction, rehabilitation, betterment, improvement and maintenance of rural roads and bridges would create better incentive for the people particularly the farmers to increase their production output, as they would be assured of an adequate and convenient facilities for transport and for marketing their products; WHEREAS, providing the people particularly those in the rural areas with adequate, safe and convenient facilities in transporting their products would stabilize and reduce prices of their commodities and thereby foster economic progress; WHEREAS, there is at present no specific bureau of office under the Department of Public Highways, charged with the responsibility of formulating and developing policies, plans, programs and standards for the construction, rehabilitation, betterment, improvement and maintenance of rural roads and bridges, and the same is being undertaken by different agencies; WHEREAS, in order to insure a more integrated planning and programming scheme directed towards the establishment of an efficient transport system responsive to the attainment of the economic development goals of the country, it is imperative that a specialized agency be created for this purpose. NOW, THEREFOR, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby decree and order: