Agricultural Rehabilitation Post-Floods 1974

The instruction is issued in view of extensive damage to agriculture caused by the recent floods.
The affected areas are the provinces of Bataan, Rizal, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Zambales, Laguna, Cavite, Nueva Ecija, Quezon, Pangasinan, Benguet and Aurora subprovince.
The declared objective is to speed up replanting and the rehabilitation of all damaged areas.

The Central Bank, the Philippine National Bank, and the Agricultural Credit Administration must consolidate all past-due obligations of farmers in the calamity-stricken areas.
The consolidated obligations must be restructured over a maximum period of three years.
The maximum limit for Masagana 99 loans must be raised from P1,200 per hectare to P1,500 per hectare on a case-to-case basis.
The increase for Masagana 99 loans must be certified by the production technician and/or the Provincial Program Officer involved.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) must immediately service and repair all irrigation pumps submerged by flood waters.
The NIA must hire or contract additional personnel as may be needed for the duration of the emergency.
The Department of Agriculture, through the National Food and Agriculture Council, must allocate an amount from its program adjustment fund as may be required by the NIA to supplement NIA funds for these purposes.

The Department of Public Highways must give top priority to the repair of all damaged roads, bridges and highways under its jurisdiction.
The Department of Public Works must give top priority to the immediate repair of all damaged dikes and flood control systems.
The Department of Public Works must give special attention to the Francis dike and floodgate, the Pasig-Potrero dike, and the Kitangil-Abacan River dike.
Repairs under this emergency prioritization are treated as part of the government rehabilitation drive.

The Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), must immediately procure at prevailing prices the required rice seeds.
The BPI must make the rice seeds available to farmers at half-price.
The half-price seeds may be made available if necessary, with payment structured after the next harvest.
Payment may be made in cash or in kind after the next harvest.
The BPI and the Department of Agriculture are authorized to utilize the Seed Procurement Fund or any other funds to carry out this seed procurement and availability.

The Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Agricultural Extension and the Bureau of Plant Industry, must be able to hire production technicians.
The instruction authorizes hiring agricultural high school graduates.
The instruction allows hiring agricultural high school graduates if necessary and in the absence of agriculture college graduates.
Hiring is authorized notwithstanding civil service rules and regulations to the contrary.

The Fertilizer Industry Authority must allocate fertilizer requirements of the areas to be replanted.
Fertilizer allocation must be determined by the National Food and Agriculture Council.
The National Grains Authority must provide farmers in the affected areas the required rice dryers to salvage rice crops.

The Budget Commission must release the first and second quarter appropriations for Fiscal Year 1974-75 of all the above-cited government agencies.
All cited government agencies directly involved in the rehabilitation drive are authorized to allow their personnel to render overtime work.
Overtime work must be for the duration of the emergency.
Overtime is authorized for the repair projects described in the preceding operational directions.

Provisions of other Letters of Instruction inconsistent with Letter of Instruction No. 211 are repealed or modified accordingly.