EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 620
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 620 -
REORGANIZING PALAYAN NG BAYAN TO PAGKAIN NG BAYAN
WHEREAS, since the Palayan ng Bayan
was created on August 2, 1973 under Presidential Decree No. 262 as a
project of the Office of the President and the Provincial Governors,
involving the development and use of virgin public lands primarily for
rice and secondarily for corn and other selected foodcrops, it has
successfully contributed to increase production of rice and other
foodstuffs, injected substantial revenue into provincial economies,
provided additional employment opportunities, and has served
effectively as instrument of human settlements; and
WHEREAS, the expansion of Palayan ng Bayan integrated projects has
enhanced countryside development, there is now urgent need to
reorganize and rename it as “Pagkain ng Bayan” to include the
production as well as the primary processing of all foodstuffs
(pagkain).
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of
the Philippines, by virtue of the authority granted in me by the
Constitution, do hereby reorganize Palayan ng Bayan as follows:
1.
In place and instead of Palayan ng Bayan, the same is hereby changed
and converted to Pagkain ng Bayan as a continuing project of the Office
of the President and the Provincial Governors as provided for in
Presidential Decree No. 262, to cover in its expansion the production
and primary processing of all kinds of foodstuffs (pagkain)
contemplated originally in Palayan ng Bayan, as well as other food
products.
2. All assets
and liabilities, organization and personnel of the Palayan ng Bayan are
hereby transferred to Pagkain ng Bayan.
3. City Mayors
are hereby allowed to participate in the Pagkain ng Bayan program in
the same way as Provincial Governors have been authorized by
Presidential Decree No. 262.
4. The maximum
loan per hectare for the development and cultivation of raw lands, and
loans for other activities related to the attainment of the objectives
of Pagkain ng Bayan, shall be determined by the National Advisory
Council, depending on project requirements.
5. Crop loans
and operational loans shall not exceed one year while loans for
investment and capital requirements may be granted for more than one
year subject to the approval of the National Advisory Council.
6. The
National Advisory Council shall determine the interest rates and
charges on the kinds of loans to be granted, subject to existing rates
and charges authorized by the Central Bank for such loans.
7. The
Minister of Finance is hereby authorized and directed to issue and sell
interest-bearing bonds, debentures, or certificates of indebtedness up
to P200 million to provide the funding of the expanded Pagkain ng Bayan
Program.
8. In case the
province/city shall fail/default in loan repayments, the Minister of
Finance, upon the request of Pagkain ng Bayan, shall withhold a certain
part of the revenues due to the province/city and apply the same as
payment of its obligation with the Pagkain ng Bayan, without prejudice
to the rights of Pagkain ng Bayan to enforce the personal guarantee of
the Provincial Governor/City Mayor.
9. The use;
cultivation of idle private lands by the Provincial Governors/City
Mayors may be authorized by the National Advisory Council for Pagkain
ng Bayan projects on a voluntary lease contract with the private
owners, subject to restrictions to be outlined by the Council.
10. Leasing of
Pagkain ng Bayan areas or a portion thereof by the provincial/city
governments to private sectors shall not be allowed, and any lease
contract or similar agreement entered into by the Provincial
Governor/City Mayor in violation of this section shall be null and void
ab initio.
11. All
provisions of the law, presidential decrees, executive orders, letters
of instructions, rules and regulations inconsistent with this Executive
Order are hereby repealed and/or modified accordingly.
This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila,
this 11th day of September, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred
and eighty.