EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 661 March 12, 1981
CREATING A TASK FORCE ON THE ACCELERATED BLISS DEVELOPMENT OF THE TONDO FORESHORE
WHEREAS, the Tondo Foreshore, historically the largest and most depressed slum community in the country, is the venue of the first integrated and comprehensive slum improvement and resettlement project of the government and serves as the model for the nationwide Slum Improvement and Resettlement Program;
WHEREAS, the slum improvement and resettlement program in the Tondo Foreshore has provided the framework and the foundation for the development of the community to be pursued to final completion, thereby achieving the establishment of a human settlement as conceptualized under the Bagong Lipunan Sites and Services (BLISS) Program;
WHEREAS, the slum improvement and resettlement program has improved the quality of life of beneficiary families in the Tondo Foreshore, but the blight and slum-live appearance of the community have continued to undermine the significance of the developmental effort of the government in the area;
WHEREAS, the people of Tondo Foreshore have demonstrated their determined effort to eliminate the remaining blight and slum-like appearance of their community through self-help housing improvements and it is the objectives of government to support such community effort as the basis of an accelerated BLISS development in the area;
WHEREAS, the accelerated BLISS development of the Tondo Foreshore shall provide the opportunity to create a model for the second stage development effort that should follow in every slum or blighted community which is the target of the nationwide slum improvement and resettlement program;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:
Sec. 1. There is hereby created a Task Force on the accelerated BLISS Development of the Tondo Foreshore which shall be composed of the Minister of Human Settlements as Chairperson and the following as Members:
(1) The Minister of Natural Resources
(2) The Minister of Trade
(3) The Minister of Public Information
(4) The Minister of the Budget
(5) The Minister of Industry
(6) The Minister of Public Highways
(7) The Minister of Public Works
(8) The Minister of Finance
(9) The Minister of Agriculture
(10) The Minister of Social Services Development
Sec. 2. The functions of the Task Force shall be as follows:
a. To pursue accelerated development of Tondo Foreshore into a human settlement as conceptualized under the BLISS Program;
b. To determine the source and make available such funds needed to support housing material and construction loans to bonafide beneficiaries and other corollary and special projects to be undertaken in pursuance of the objectives of the Task Force;
c. To cause the immediate resolution of land issues in the Tondo Foreshore leading to the award to beneficiaries of land titles over their allocated homelots;
d. To promote and strengthen community participation and involvement in all aspects of the development effort;
e. To cause the design and implementation of an expanded livelihood program;
f. To cause the completion of on-going works and the construction of major infrastructure support requirements of the Tondo Foreshore;
g. To determine and cause the design and construction of special projects such as the development of the Metro Manila Commission Center in selected sites of the Tondo Foreshore;
h. To establish adequate and desirable design and standards for the redevelopment of housing and related social infrastructure in the Tondo Foreshore;
i. To submit periodic report to the President on the program of the accelerated BLISS development in the Tondo Foreshore.
The members of the inter-ministry committee may designate their respective representatives, provided, that such representatives are empowered to decide and/or act on their Minister's behalf.
The Task Force shall have an Executive Committee which shall be headed by the Deputy Minister of Human Settlements with the following as Members:
(1) The Director, Bureau of Lands
(2) The Commissioner, National Land Titles and Deeds Registration Administration
(3) The Director-General, Technology Resource Center
(4) The General Manager, National Housing Authority
(5) The Deputy Minister of Public Works
(6) The Deputy Minister of the Budget
(7) The General Manager, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System
(8) The Vice-Governor, Metro Manila Commission
(9) The Chairman, Development Bank of the Philippines
Sec. 3. The National Housing Authority, as agency-in-charge of the Tondo Foreshore Development Project, is designated lead agency in the planning and implementation of the development programs to be undertaken by the Task Force. The Tondo Foreshore Development Project Office of that agency shall be expanded to provide the organizational capacity that the accelerated development programs shall require. Technical personnel from government agencies, particularly from the Ministry of Human Settlements and its attached agencies, may be detailed to the Tondo Foreshore Project for the above purpose.
Sec. 4. To give the Projects the benefit of experience of both the government and the private sectors, the Task Force shall seek the participation and involvement of private individuals with the expertise on specific aspects of the development program. Specifically, in order to surface and develop the individual preferences of beneficiary families and provide expression for authentic Filipino architecture and culture, the Task Force shall solicit has assistance of the private sector in evolving the design and standards for housing construction and renovation.
Sec. 5. The following government agencies shall be primarily responsible for the provision of technical and administrative support to the National Housing Authority in the planning and implementation of specific project components as indicated, to wit:
a. Bureau of Lands Titling, award and resolution of land issues
b. Technology Resource Design and Implementation Center of Livelihood Program
c. Development Bank of Housing Material and Construction the Philippines Loans
d. National Housing Production of standard Corporation housing components
Sec. 6. The Ministry of Public Highways shall cause the construction of major roads such as the R-10 and C-2 and such order major road network that future development programs shall require. In addition, the MPW shall cause the reclamation of such areas needed for the development of the Metro Manila Commission Center within the Project area. For the above purposes, it shall include in its annual budget the funding requirements for such project components it has been tasked to undertake.
Sec. 7. The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System shall cause the completion of the water system within the project area to a level of service that shall make available adequate water supply to individual households thereat.
Sec. 8. The Metropolitan Manila Commission shall, in coordination with the National Housing Authority, identify and cause the design and development of the site for its offices and for other related agencies providing Metro Manila-wide services.
Sec. 9. The reclaimed area of Vitas Tondo Foreshore, which pursuant to Letter of Instruction No. 299 dated 29 July 1975 is a component part of the Tondo Foreshore Development Project, shall be developed as a commercial/industrial estate. For this purpose, the Bureau of Lands shall title the land in the name of the National Housing Authority which shall, under the direction of the Task Force, plan and implement its development.
Sec. 10. In view of the urgency of this project and in order not to delay its implementation per time table for its completion, the Task Force shall be exempted from the pertinent provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1594 and other presidential issuances, rules and regulations requiring public bidding and instead, it shall be authorized to enter into negotiated contracts with prequalified and competent contractors and suppliers for all the work components of the project covering infrastructure works, supply of materials, labor and services and other related project components.
Sec. 11. The Ministry of the Budget shall release to the Task Force the amount of P5 Million from the Special Activities Fund of the President which amount shall be used to fund its initial administrative and operational activities. In consultation with the Ministry of Human Settlements, the Ministry of the Budget shall likewise identify the source and make available the funds that the above-cited development program for the Tondo Foreshore shall require. In this regard, the Ministry of the Budget shall ensure that project components to be undertaken by each responsible government agency are included for funding allocation in the yearly budget.
Sec. 12. This executive Order shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila, this 12th day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-one.
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