Article 76p. 76

ADMINISTRATIVE CODE AND LAW OF PUBLIC OFFICERS TEXT AND RULES

will be presented to the Cabinet for the President's

approval;

(21) Perform such other functions as may be provided

by law.

SECTION

5.

Organizational

Structure .

—

The

Department shall consist of the Department Proper, the

Staff Offices, the Staff Bureaus, and the Regional Offices,

Provincial Offices and Community Offices.

CHAPTER 2 The Department Proper

SECTION 6. Composition . — The Department Proper

shall be composed of the Office of the Secretary, the

Offices of the Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries,

and the Public Affairs Office, Special Concerns Office, and

the Pollution Adjudication Board.

SECTION 7. Office of the Secretary . — The Office of

the Secretary shall consist of the Secretary and his

immediate staff.

SECTION 8. The Secretary . — The Secretary shall:

(1) Advise the President on the promulgation of rules,

regulations

and

other

issuances

relative

to

the

conservation, management, development and proper use

of the country's natural resources;

(2) Establish policies and standards for the efficient

and

effective

operations

of

the

Department

in

accordance with the programs of the government;

(3) Promulgate rules, regulations and other issuances

necessary in carrying out the Department's mandate,

objectives, policies, plans, programs and projects.

(4) Exercise supervision and control over all functions

and activities of the Department;

(5) Delegate authority for the performance of any

administrative or substantive function to subordinate

officials of the Department; and

(6) Perform such other functions as may be provided

by law or assigned by the President.

SECTION 9. Undersecretaries . — The Secretary shall

be

assisted

by

five

(5)

Undersecretaries

upon

the

recommendation

of

the

Secretary.

The

Secretary

is

hereby authorized to delineate, assign and/or reassign the

respective

functional

areas

of

responsibility

of

each

Undersecretary, Provided , That such responsibility shall

be with respect to the mandate and objectives of the

Department;

and

Provided,

further ,

That

no

Undersecretary shall be assigned primarily administrative

responsibilities.

Within

his

functional

area

of

responsibility, an Undersecretary shall have the following

functions:

(1)

Advise

the

Secretary

in

the

promulgation

of

Department

orders,

administrative

orders

and

other

issuances, with respect to his area of responsibility;

(2) Exercise supervision and control over the offices,

services, operating units and officers and employees

under his responsibility;

(3) Promulgate rules and regulations, consistent with

Department policies, that will efficiently and effectively

govern the activities of units under his responsibility;

(4) Coordinate the functions and activities of the units

under his responsibility with those of other units under

the responsibility of other Undersecretaries;

(5)

Exercise

such

authority

on

substantive

and

administrative

matters

related

to

the functions and

activities of units under his responsibility to the extent

granted

by

the

Secretary

through

administrative

issuances; and

(6) Perform such other functions as may be provided

by law or assigned by the Secretary.

SECTION 10. Assistant Secretaries . — The Secretary

and

the

Undersecretaries

shall,

in

the

formulation,

management and implementation of natural resources

laws, policies, plans, and programs and projects, also be

assisted by seven (7) Assistant Secretaries who shall be

responsible for the following: one (1) for Policy and

Planning Studies, one (1) for Foreign-Assisted and Special

Projects, one (1) for Field Operations in Luzon, one (1) for

Field Operations in the Visayas, and one (1) for Field

Operations in Mindanao, one (1) for Legal Affairs, and one

(1) for Management Services.

SECTION 11. Public Affairs Office . — The Public Affairs

Office, under the Office of the Secretary, shall be headed

by a Director to be assisted by an Assistant Director, and

shall

serve

as

the

public

information

arm

of

the

Department. It shall be responsible for disseminating

information on natural resources development policies,

plans, programs and projects and respond to public

queries related to the development and conservation of

natural resources.

SECTION 12. Special Concerns Office . — The Special

Concerns Office, also under the Office of the Secretary,

shall be headed by a Director to be assisted by an

Assistant Director, and shall be responsible for handling

priority areas or subjects identified by the Secretary

which necessitate special and immediate attention.

SECTION 13. Pollution Adjudication Board . — The

Pollution Adjudication Board, under the Office of the

Secretary,

shall

be

composed

of

the

Secretary

as

Chairman, two Undersecretaries as may be designated by

the

Secretary,

the

Director

of

Environmental

Management, and three others to be designated by the

Secretary as members. The Board shall assume the

powers and functions of the Commission/Commissioners

of

the

National

Pollution

Control

Commission

with

respect to the adjudication of pollution cases under

Republic

Act

3931

and

Presidential

Decree

984,

particularly with respect to Section 6 letters (e), (f), (g), (j),

(k) and (p) of P.D. 984. The Environmental Management

Bureau shall serve as the Secretariat of the Board. These

powers and functions may be delegated to the regional

officers of the Department in accordance with rules and

regulations to be promulgated by the Board.

CHAPTER 3 The Staff Sectoral Bureaus

SECTION 14. Forest Management Bureau . — The

Forest Management Bureau shall be headed by a Director

and assisted by an Assistant Director, and shall integrate

and

absorb

the

powers

of

the

Bureau

of

Forest

Development

and

the

Wood

Industry

Development

Authority which were abolished by Executive Order No.

131, except those line functions and powers thereof which

are transferred to the regional field office.

It shall advise the Secretary on matters pertaining to

forest development and conservation. As its primary

functions, it shall:

(1)

Recommend

policies

and/or

programs for the

effective

protection,

development,

occupancy,

management

and

conservation

of

forest

lands

and

watersheds, including the grazing and mangrove areas;

reforestation and rehabilitation of critically denuded or

degraded

forest

reservations,

improvement

of

water

resource use and development, development of national

parks, preservation of wilderness areas, game refuges and

wildlife sanctuaries, ancestral lands, wilderness areas and

other

natural

preserves,

development

of

forest

plantations, including rattan, bamboo, and other valuable

non-timber forest resources; and rationalization of the

wood-based industries, regulation of the utilization and

exploitation

of forest resources, including wildlife, to

ensure

continuous

supply

of

forest

and goods and

services;

(2) Advise the regional offices in the implementation

of the above policies and/or programs;

(3) Develop plans, programs, operating standards and

administrative

measures

to

promote

the

Bureau's

objectives and functions;

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