DECLARING THE RIVER BASIN CONTROL OFFICE UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES AS THE LEAD GOVERNMENT AGENCY FOR THE INTEGRATED PLANNING, MANAGEMENT, REHABIL…

WHEREAS, the Constitution mandates the State to protect and promote
the conservation and wise use of the country’s natural resources to
achieve social development, economic progress and ecological stability;

WHEREAS, the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTDP) of the
government includes water resources management and the formulation of a
comprehensive development plan for the water resources of the country;

WHEREAS, the integration and harmonization of various government
mandates and resources in the provisions for safe and clean water
supply and effective flood control management for the entire country is
emphasized in the MTDP;

WHEREAS, the reforestation and watersheds, coupled with the
establishment of water quality, effective flood control and measures,
and the implementation of integrated water management scheme, are
highly recommended for the sustainable supply and allocation of safe and
clean water;

WHEREAS, Section 4 of Executive Order (EO) No. 192, series of 1987,
mandates that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
is the primary government agency responsible for the conservation,
management, and development of the country’s environment and natural
resources, as well as their proper use, and shall ensure the equitable
sharing of the benefits derived therefrom for the welfare of the present
and future generations of Filipinos;

WHEREAS, there are existing river basin and flood control projects
that should be rationalized into the Integrated River Basin Development
and Management Master Plan and Framework Plan;

WHEREAS, there are several areas in the country that have no major
river basins but which, nevertheless, has been and are vulnerable to
water shortages, water pollution, major flooding and land slides,
and therefore needs inclusion in the master plan for integrated
river basins management;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 510 dated March 5, 2006 mandates the
River Basin Control Office under the DENR to rationalize various river
basin projects such as, but not limited to, the following: the Pasig
River Rehabilitation, KAMANAVA flood control, Agno River and Allied
Rivers Flood Control, and to promote and advocate an integrated river
basin management to ensure protection of environment and people against
floods and natural disasters;

WHEREAS, the President has the continuing authority to rationalize
and integrate various mandates of the Executive Branch pursuant to
Section 31, Chapter 10, Title III, Book III of the Administrative Code
of 1987.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic
of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do
hereby order:

SECTION 1. Declaration. The River Basin Control
Office (RBCO) under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR) is hereby mandated as the oversight agency for all government
efforts and initiatives within the country’s river basins.

SECTION 2. Power and Functions of the RBCO. The RBCO, as lead government agency, shall specifically execute the following powers and functions:

a. Rationalize and integrate all national plans, projects and
programs within the country’s river catchment basins, with the authority
to serve as the oversight office of all various government agencies and
corporations with relevant and related river basin initiatives,
projects and programs such as, but not limited to, river basin
infrastructure development, flood control, environmental protection and
integrated water resources management. To this end, such government
agencies and corporations shall coordinate their planned and ongoing
river basin initiatives with the RBCO, to which the RBCO shall review
and endorse approval and funding from the national budget thereof, as
may be provided under existing laws, rules and regulations;

b. Harmonize all relevant national river basin policies and
formulate new policies and create enabling policy environment that shall
allow effective and efficient management and governance of the
country’s river basins. To this end, all national government agencies
and corporation shall consult with the RBCO in such planning and
implementation, and have the RBCO as ex-officio member in the policy
steering or project implementing boards as may be created therefor;

c. Serve as the national policy coordination office for local
government units and non-governmental organizations in the development
and sustainability of all river and catchment basins, for which the RBCO
shall recommend the approval and funding thereof of national government
agency and corporations’ support to such local and non-government
river and catchment basin initiatives;

d. Serve as the DENR’s implementing office in the implementation,
monitoring and evaluation of DENR’s programs and projects within the
country’s river basins;

e. Serve as central fund administrator for river basins
appropriation provided under the DENR’s budget that shall allow a more
rationalized and optimized management of government public spending; and

f. Serve as the government’s central river basin database
management agency, to which all government agencies and existing river
basin organizations with relevant mandates and developmental initiatives
within the river basins are required to cooperate and regularly submit
their updated databases for integration and consolidation by RBCO using a
River Basin Integrated Information Management System.

SECTION 3. Budgetary Support. The RBCO shall have an
initial fund of Two Hundred Forty Million Pesos (P240,000,000.00) to be
sourced from unprogrammed funds of the DENR, and/or as may be
recommended and/or approved by the Department of Budget and Management
(DBM), for the planning, operations and administration of RBCO including
augmentation of manpower capacity to carry out its mandated functions
and powers. Said amount shall be obtained from the remaining unreleased
budgetary support for RBCO pursuant to Executive Order No. 510 dated
March 5, 2006, which created the RBCO under the DENR. Starting budgetary
year 2010, its operating budget shall be incorporated in the budgetary
allocation of the DENR and member agencies.

SECTION 4. Inter-Agency Cooperation. The
departments, bureaus, offices, agencies or instrumentalities, including
government-owned or controlled corporations, are hereby directed to
extend such assistance and cooperation as the RBCO may need in the
discharge of its functions.

SECTION 5. Repeal. All executive orders, rules
and regulations and other issuances or parts thereof, which are
inconsistent with this Executive Order, are hereby revoked, amended, or
modified accordingly.

SECTION 8. Effectivity. This Order shall take
effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication in a national
newspaper of general circulation and fifteen (15) days after
registration with the Office of the National Administrative Register.

Adopted: 06 July 2009

(SGD.) GLORIA M. ARROYO
President of the Philippines   

BY THE PRESIDENT:

(SGD.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA
Executive Secretary