MALACAÑANG
Manila

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 48

ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE COUNCIL FOR
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

WHEREAS, agricultural growth, which embodies the development of our farm, forest, and fishery resources, is a matter of national concern;

WHEREAS, in order to attain the national goals in agricultural growth and development, research is necessary to determine the alternative means of achieving these goals or to identify the best means among the alternatives;

WHEREAS, agricultural research, which includes forestry and fisheries, is a systematic method of joining and applying knowledge efficient not only to the biological, physical, and economic phases or producing, processing, and distributing farm, forest, and fishery products, but also in improving consumer health and nutrition, as well as the social and economic aspects of rural living;

WHEREAS, the application of better agricultural technology arising out of research would directly benefit not only the rural population which comprises two-thirds of the total Philippine population, but also a major segment of the urban sector;

WHEREAS, the national agricultural research program must not only be sensitive to the current needs of an advancing and developing agriculture but should also be forward-looking if it is to make most effective use of available money and manpower.

WHEREAS, to effectively implement the national agricultural research program, it is necessary to develop a research capability in terms of manpower, facilities, funding, and programs;

WHEREAS, in integrated fashion, the Philippine Government has initiated and implemented two closely related studies for the purpose of reviewing the existing national agricultural research operations and developing a responsive and effective national system for agricultural research;

WHEREAS, there is an urgent need for a coordinating agency that will oversea, unify, and integrate the planning, administration, and implementation of the government’s agricultural research program;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, as Commander-in-Chief all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, as amended, in order to effect the desired changes and reforms in the social, economic, and political structure of the country, do hereby create the Philippine Council for Agricultural Research (PCAR) with the following major functions and powers;

a) Define goals, purposes, and scope of research necessary to support progressive development of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries for the nation on a continuing basis;

b) Using the basic guidelines of relevance, excellence, and cooperation, develop the national agricultural research program based on a multi-disciplinary, inter-agency, and systems approach for the various component commodities;

c) Establish a system of priorities for agriculture, forestry, and fisheries research and provide meaningful mechanisms for updating these priorities;

d) Develop and implement a fund-generating strategy for supporting agricultural research;

e) Program the allocation of all government revenue earmarked for agricultural research to implement a dynamic national agricultural research program;

f) Provide the mechanism for assessment of progress and updating the national agricultural research program;

g) Establish and provide support for a national network of centers of excellence for the various commodity research programs by drawing from the facilities of cooperating universities and colleges and other research agencies and linking these clearly with selected PCAR research centers and stations;

h) Develop a mechanism for full communication among workers in research, extension, education, and national development;

i) Establish a repository for research information in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries;

j) Provide for a systematic program or agricultural research manpower development and improvement;

k) Provide for appropriate incentives to encourage top-notch research workers to remain working in their respective areas of agricultural research; and

l) It shall have the power and authority to call on any department, bureau, office, agency, state university or college, commodity institute, and other instrumentalities of the government for assistance in the form of personnel, facilities, and other resources as the need arises in the discharge of its functions.

For administrative purposes, the Philippine Council for Agricultural Research is attached to the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The Council shall be composed of the following officials;

The policies and guidelines formulated by the Council shall be implemented by a Secretariat headed by a Director-General who shall be assisted by two Deputy Director-Generals, technical research directors, and commodity research program leaders who shall be designated by the Council and composed of personnel assigned and/or detailed to PCAR from the different departments, bureaus, state universities or colleges, commodity institutes, offices, agencies and other instrumentalities of the government.

The basic planning and coordination of the national agricultural research program shall rest on the various Commodity Research Planning and Implementation Teams. The compositions of these Teams shall be determined on an interdisciplinary basis with the guiding principle that the best possible expertise in the country should be drafted into these Teams irrespective of what agency they come from.

For the purpose of ensuring maximum quality, competence, and effectiveness of the technical research programs of PCAR, a Technical Program Planning and Review Board composed of top quality technical men, is authorized to be constituted to assist the PCAR Director-General. The members of the PCAR Technical Program Planning and Review Board shall be appointed by the Council.

The Philippine Council for Agricultural Research is authorized to pay honoraria and to make research grants.

Selected field stations, personnel, facilities, and funds of the Department of Agriculture and National Resources, as may be later identified by the Council with the concurrence of the Secretary of Agriculture and National Resources, are hereby transferred to the operational control of the Council.

Research personnel, facilities and other research resources which belong to universities, colleges, and commodity institutes shall be harnessed on a contract basis in support of the PCAR agricultural research program. Where needed, such research resources would likewise be available for development assistance as determined by the PCAR Governing Council;

The Council is hereby directed to develop appropriate rules and regulations governing technical personnel, accounting and auditing procedures for research funds, and research program budgeting. When approved by the Council, such rules and regulations mentioned above shall carry the force of law.

The Council shall formulate the national long term and annual programs in agricultural research. All government revenue earmarked for agricultural research (including research in forestry and fisheries), whether coming from regular budget appropriations or tax levies on specific commodities, or from the National Science Development Board, should be programmed by the Philippine Council for Agricultural Research. Beginning July 1, 1973, no funds earmarked for agricultural research shall be released by the Budget Commission or other funding agencies for research activities in PCAR research center and stations, universities, colleges, and other research agencies unless these were integrated as a part of the national agricultural research program. However, a small reserve should be set aside to provide for contingency allocations to finance research covering immediate problems of an emergency nature, that might arise during a given year.

The Council is hereby authorized to draw from and negotiate for funds, not otherwise specifically allocated, of the National Economic Council, National Food and Agriculture Council, National Science Development Board, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, agricultural institutions, and all other possible funds sources, for the establishment, operational and program expenses of the Philippine Council for Agricultural Research.

All income and revenue that shall accrue from operations of PCAR research program shall be considered as automatic appropriations for subsequent PCAR activities.

The Council shall submit to the President periodic reports of its activities.

All acts, parts of acts, executive order, ordinances, rules and regulations which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Presidential Decree are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

Done in the City of Manila, this 10th day of November, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seven-two.

(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) ALEJANDRO MELCHOR
Executive Secretary

Source: Malacañang Records Office