ChanRobles Virtual law Library
PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES & CODES
A collection of Philippine laws, statutes and codes not included or cited in the main indices of the Chan Robles Virtual Law Library.
Home > Chan Robles Virtual Law Library > Philippine Laws, Statutes & Codes > :
Search for
www.chanrobles.com
:
LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST ➔ PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES & CODES
LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 408
TO
: The Secretary of
Public Works, Transportation and
Communications, and the Heads of
Agencies and Corporations attached to
it
The Secretary of Public Highways
The Secretary of Agriculture
The Secretary of Local Government
and Community Development
The Secretary of Finance
The Commissioner of the Budget
The severe damage wrought by the recent floods in Metropolitan Manila and large areas of Luzon make it urgently necessary to review and update thoroughly the flood control and drainage plans and programs of government.
You are hereby directed to examine the parameters of these plans in view of the varied changes that have taken place during the last 30 years in the conditions and characteristics of our land and water resources, in the urban and rural environment, in the drainage systems, and in climatology and technology.
In view thereof, the concept of dikes and other protective systems of structures as a "last line of defense" for floods must now be circumscribed by a more comprehensive and meaningful "first line of defense" in the upper reaches of the watersheds, by developing a system of multi-purpose catchment basins, impounding reservoirs, and the like.
This concept harmonizes the ecosytem's delicate balance with the handiwork of man and the country's total development needs. Hence, flood control and drainage programs shall be formulated considering our requirements for irrigation, power, and water supply vis-avis positive forest and watershed management.
An integrated plan of action shall, therefore, be evolved by your coordinated and reinforcing efforts, viz.:
1.
The Department of Public Works, Transportation and
Communications (DPWTC) shall be the overall coordinator in the
preparation and implementation of the plans and programs required
herein. For this purpose, the DPWTC shall create a Task Force directly
under the Office of the Secretary with the Bureau of Public Works Water
Resources (Hydrology) Division as the nucleus and supplemented by the
necessary multidisciplinary technical staff from any government and
private agency which has the appropriate expertise. The Task Force
shall, inter alia (a) prepare a 10-year program for the development of
catchment basis or impounding reservoirs for multi-purpose
applications, with emphasis on flood control, irrigation, power and
water supply, in the major basins of the country, including Pampanga,
Agno and Cagayan; (b) review, update, and revise the Metropolitan
Manila Flood Control and Drainage Program; and (c) build, test, and
operate appropriate physical and mathematical models to simulate and
evaluate the effects of alternative schemes.
2. The
Department of Public Highways and the
Philippine National Railways shall coordinate their programs with and
advice the Task Force. Their actions shall be guided by the most recent
and relevant information and advice from the Task Force on the
appropriate elevations, openings, and drainage capacities of bridges,
culverts, inlets, and related structures so as to allow smooth passage
of floodwaters and avoid constriction and clogging of waterways.
3. The
Department of Natural Resources particularly
the Bureau of Forest Development, and the Department of Agriculture,
particularly the Bureau of Soils, shall jointly mount an effective soil
conservation, reforestation and erosion control program, especially in
the major watersheds. These shall be properly orchestrated with the
initiatives of the other agencies, notably that of the Task Force. For
one, the provisions of fish culture shall be integral to the design of
impounding reservoirs.
4. The
National Economic and Development Authority,
in coordination with the Budget Commission and the Department of
Finance, shall allocate to the program the sum of five billion pesos
(P5 billion) over the next ten years, with an initial outlay of one
billion pesos (P1 billion). All efforts must be exerted to mobilize
local and foreign sources of funds for this program.
5. The
Department of National Defense, through the
Philippine Air Force and the Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey, shall
provide all available necessary maps and survey data and, when
necessary, conduct an aerial mapping of the designated areas.
6. The
National Irrigation Administration shall
provide effective drainage systems in and around their irrigation
networks.
Local government entities, especially the barangays, shall be consulted by all concerned so as to factor local conditions and indigenous experiences related to flooding, erosion, and lack of water into their programs.
All expenditures to be incurred for the above purpose shall be borne by the resources of the respective agencies and reflected in their appropriations.
Done in the City of Manila, this 29th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-six.
chanrobles virtual law library
Back to Main
Since 19.07.98.