SEC. ANDANAR: Dalawang announcement tayo: I am reading Proclamation No. 6, on behalf of the President.

Whereas, Republic Act No. 9177, declared Eid’l Fitr (Feast of Ramadhan) as a regular holiday throughout the country;

Whereas, Eid’l Fitr is celebrated by the Muslim world for three (3) days after the end of the month of fasting;

Whereas, the entire Filipino nation should have the full opportunity to join their Muslim brothers and sisters in peace and harmony in the observance and celebration of Eid’l Fitr; and

Whereas, in order to bring the religious and cultural significance of the Eid’l Fitr to the fore of national consciousness, it is necessary to declare Wednesday, 6 July 2016, as a regular holiday throughout the country.

Now, therefore, signed by Rodrigo R. Duterte, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested upon the President, hereby declare Wednesday, 6 July 2016, as a regular holiday throughout the country in observance of Eid’l Fitr (Feast of Ramadhan) signed by the President Rodrigo Duterte.

Thank you.

[Sir, can you read again, Proclamation number?]

SEC. ANDANAR: Number six (6).

SEC. ABELLA: Executive Order No. 1: Reengineering the Office of the President Towards Greater Responsiveness to the Attainment of Development Goals

Whereas, the Office of the President of the Philippines is mandated to manage the overall development process and advance national development goals stipulated in the Philippine Development Plan, the President’s Inaugural Address, and the President’s Governance Agenda;

Whereas, the Administration aims to advance development goals and uplift the quality of life of all Filipinos through a holistic, convergent, and participatory approach to leadership and governance;

Whereas, the Office of the President consists of various agencies that carry out responsibilities pertinent to development and management, general government administration and internal administration;

Whereas, the attainment of national development goals requires the efficient, responsive, and just allocation of resources by eliminating duplication or overlapping of common functions, maximizing resource utilization with minimum disruption to operations, coordinating efforts more closely, sharing information and consistently working in a collaborative manner;

Whereas, the Executive Secretary, Cabinet Secretary, and Special Assistant to the President endeavor to proactively collaborate to promote the efficient delivery of services under the Office of the President;

Whereas, Section VII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that the President shall have control of all the executive departments, bureaus and offices;

Whereas, Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1416 (Granting Continuing Authority to the President of the Philippines to Reorganize the National Government), as amended by PD 1722, provides that the President of the Philippines shall have continuing authority to reorganize the administrative structure of the National Government;

Whereas, Section 31 Chapter 10, Title III, Book III of Executive Order No. 292 (Administrative Code of 1987) dated 25 July 1987 provides for the continuing authority of the President to reorganize the administrative structure of the Office of the President;

Now therefore, I, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, President of the Philippines, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the Philippines, do hereby order:

Section 1. Agency Supervision. The Cabinet Secretary shall have supervision over the following agencies:

a: Cooperative Development Authority
b: Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council
c: National Anti-Poverty Commission
d: National Commission on Indigenous Peoples
e: National Commission on Muslim Filipinos
f: National Food Authority
g: National Youth Commission
h: Office of the President – Presidential Action Center
i: Philippine Commission on Women
j: Philippine Coconut Authority
k: Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor
l: Technical Education Skills Development Authority

With the supervision of the Cabinet Secretary, these agencies shall primarily evaluate existing poverty reduction programs and, if deemed necessary, formulate a more responsive set of programs complementing existing ones, channeling resources as necessary to reduce both the incidence and magnitude of poverty.

They shall develop specific programs and projects that seek to reduce poverty, improve the lives of the most vulnerable sectors of society; promote social education of the people to allow them to participate in effecting real change by keeping watch of the affairs of government; and listen to people’s feedback.

They shall conduct consultations with LGUs for the proper allocation of resources and program implementation and recommend courses of action for the government to adopt to achieve a sustainable system of meeting the needs of the people, while ensuring resiliency for vulnerable communities.

Section 2. Consolidating the Office and Functions of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President, the Office of the Appointments Secretary, and the Presidential Management Staff under the Special Assistant to the President and Creating the Office of the President – Events Management Cluster. The Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP), the Office of the Appointments Secretary, and the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) are hereby placed under the oversight of the Special Assistant to the President (SAP).

Relatedly, the Office of the President- Events Management Cluster (OP-EMC) is hereby created to ensure effective collaboration among the offices and/or units involved in the preparations for and management of Presidential engagements. It shall be composed of the PMS, Presidential Security Group (PSG), Office of the Chief Presidential Protocol, Media Accreditation and Relations Office (MARO), and Radio-Television Malacañang (RTVM).

1. The OSAP. The OSAP shall be composed of the Private Offices of the President, including the Appointments Office, which shall handle the scheduling of activities of the President; and the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), including Presidential appointments processing, and management of Presidential engagements as lead of OP-EMC.
2. Powers and Functions. The OSAP shall be headed by an appointee with the position Presidential Assistant II with the rank of Secretary, who shall oversee and supervise the implementation of improvements in the systems and processes in place to maximize efficiency and effectivity in management.
3. Personnel and Staffing Complement. The OSAP shall be composed of its organic number of personnel and shall be reinforced by the personnel of the consolidated and merged offices which are necessary to support its mandate.

Section 3. Common Staff Support System. The PMS shall support the Executive Secretary in the provision of policy inputs to the President in the management of the affairs pertaining to the Government of the Republic of the Philippines; and to the Cabinet Secretary in the provision of substantive and logistical support to the Cabinet and in the monitoring and execution of Cabinet directives.

Section 4. Separability Clause. If any part or provision of this Executive Order is held invalid or unconstitutional, any part or provision not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 5. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, proclamations, circulars, rules, regulations, and other enactments, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with any of provision of this Executive Order are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

Section 6. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately upon publication in one (1) newspaper of general circulation.

Done in the City of Manila, this 30th day of June, in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand and Sixteen. Signed by Salvador Medialdea, ES; Rodrigo Duterte, President.

Q&A:

Vic Somintac (DZEC): Sir, good afternoon. In behalf of the Malacañang Press Corps, pardon us for being very particular and legalistic especially on the Executive Order coming from the Office of the President. I would like to bring your attention on number 6, whereas the wordings of whereas number 6 refers to the Section 7. Are you referring to the Article 7, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution? The wordings of Section 7 refers to the assumption of the president-elect and vice president-elect. If you are referring to the powers of the president on the supervision of all government agencies, it should be Article 17 of the Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution.

SEC. ABELLA: Article 17—

Mr. Somintac: Article 7 Section 17 supposed to be.

SEC. ABELLA: So it should read how?

Mr. Somintac: Article 7 Section 17, not Section 7, sir.

SEC. ABELLA: Article 7, Section 17, Okay. Noted. We will act on that.

Mr. Somintac: Okay. Thank you.

John Paul Bencito (The Manila Standard): Sir, JP Bencito, Manila Standard. Sir, what happened to the two other agencies? Sir, there were four agencies under the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Food Security, formerly handled by Kiko Pangilinan. What happened, sir, to the two other agencies?

SEC. ABELLA: Which are?

Mr. Bencito: Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority and NIA (National Irrigation Authority). Were they reverted back—?

SEC. ABELLA: Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority?

Mr. Bencito: And the NIA, sir? National Irrigation Authority. Were they reverted back to the Department of Agriculture?

SEC. ABELLA: We will check on that. I’ll follow up.

Mr. Bencito: Thank you, sir.

Reymund Tinaza (Bombo Radyo): Sir, just a quick follow up to Mr. Somintac’s question. Sir, what will you gonna do? I understand this is already been registered at the Office of the Records section. So what will you gonna do? You will pull out this or you will provide an Executive Order 01-A because I understand, although it’s… can be a typographical error. But this will become the law of the land.

SEC. ABELLA: We will take note of the pointers and we will act accordingly.

Ace Romero (Philippine Star): Secretary, earlier, then incoming Agriculture Secretary [Emmanuel] Piñol said he wanted the PCA (Philippine Coconut Authority) back to the DA (Department of Agriculture) because I understand PCA, NFA (National Food Authority) and other agriculture-related agencies back to the DA, which was separated from the DA by the Aquino administration and now you placed it under the supervision of the Cabinet Secretary. So what happened to that—

SEC. ABELLA: You talking about the PCA?

Mr. Romero: Yes.

SEC. ABELLA: And the NFA?

Mr. Romero: Yeah. The Pesticide and the Fertilizer — Apparently, Secretary Piñol wanted those agencies because they are related to the Agriculture department but here they were placed under the supervision of Cabinet Secretary?

SEC. ABELLA: We will take it up with the department secretary, the points that you raised.

Mr. Romero: But may I ask what’s the wisdom of putting those agencies under the supervision of Secretary [Leoncio] Evasco [Jr.]?

SEC. ABELLA: Apparently they have some sort of wisdom going on there. No, basically I’m not trying to be flip. I’m just saying it has been placed together, it has been clustered such and I’ll bring it up.

Joseph Morong (GMA-7): Sir, Joseph sa GMA 7. Sir ano ‘yung pinagkapare-pareho nitong mga ‘to such that you saw it as wise to put them under one Cabinet Secretary?

SEC. ABELLA: Basically, it’s streamlining, you know, I think it’s stated it’s basically just to streamline so that it’s not repetitive, it’s not redundant. Okay, that’s why they consolidate it.

Mr. Morong: In an operational sense, sir, mas madali bang nasa Cabinet Secretary ‘yung control nitong mga agencies na ‘to? Kung halimbawa kailanganin man ‘yung NFA and then HUDCC (Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council) for poverty alleviation?

SEC. ABELLA: It’s under his supervision in order for coordination. But, definitely, for actions taken it will be under those particular departments.

Mr. Morong: Sir, ano ‘yung magiging rango ng mga nasa baba? Hindi na Cabinet Secretary level?

SEC. ABELLA: No.

Mr. Morong: Mga ano na siya?

SEC. ABELLA: They’re heads of agencies. They’re not Cabinet secretaries.

Mr. Morong: TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) hindi na? Prior sir ‘yung TESDA Cab Sec.

SEC. ANDANAR: Before it was Director General. When PNoy (President Aquino) came in ginawa niyang Secretary si Joel Villanueva.

Mr. Morong: Sir, ‘yung HUDCC and then ‘yung TESDA, that has been proven to be very useful in campaigns before. May ganong bang logic na iniiwas natin to be launching pads of political careers?

SEC. ABELLA: I doubt that. I think it’s just — I doubt that that’s the main reason to do that. It’s basically streamlining. Yes, I’m sorry?

Ted Tuvera (The Daily Tribune): Sir, Ted Tuvera of Daily Tribune. Sir, these are the advocacies as espoused by the left and Mrs. [Leni] Robredo? Will we be expecting an appointment coming from the — new members of the left that will be a part of these agencies, sir?

SEC. ABELLA: That particular political sector has already been given — has already been addressed. They have already been given their own positions.

Mr. Tuvera: What about these ano, sir, these positions? Will it be given to them—?

SEC. ABELLA: They’re already filled up? [Sec. Abella asks Sec. Andanar]

Mr. Tuvera: Or will there be a space for Mrs. Robredo?

SEC. ABELLA: We will still have to refer to Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco. Thank you.

Mr. Romero: Sec, clarification. So, ‘yung TESDA, is he still a secretary? No? Hindi na po? For clarification.

SEC. ABELLA: Hindi na.

Mr. Romero: Ano siya? Director general?

SEC. ABELLA: Director general.

Mr. Romero: Okay so, sige. Tapos isa pang question, Secretary. What’s the wisdom of lumping in one EO ‘yung something related about poverty and then something related about the operations of the President ‘yung sa OSAP, bakit po sila ni-lump into one EO, parang seemingly unrelated silang dalawa?

SEC. ABELLA: The OSAP?

SEC. ROMERO: Kasi ‘yung Section 2 consolidating the office and functions of the Office of the Special Assistant of the President parang hindi yata related sa poverty and development ‘yung…Bakit kaya parang ni-lump sila into one EO?

SEC. ANDANAR: They are all part of the Office of the President.

Mr. Romero: So ‘yun lang po ang reason? They are all part of the OP (Office of the President) so they were lumped into one EO?

SEC. ANDANAR: Yes. We want to do a fast job.

SEC. ABELLA: Still streamlining.

SEC. ANDANAR: Streamlining pa rin.

Mr. Morong: Sir, last. Baka kasi statement lang ‘yung makuha namin, ‘yung visit later, meeting with Vice President [Leni] Robredo. Why did the President, well allow — decide to meet with her and may agenda ba?

SEC. ABELLA: He did say that they could meet anytime, right? Okay. Let’s leave it at that. Thank you very much.

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