No room for redundant offices. The executive
branch has been cutting costs since 2001 upon orders
of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who took office
that year. From December 2001 to October 2004, 117 attached
agencies under the Office of the President have been
abolished or their functions merged or transferred to
related offices. This policy has led to an estimated
Php 513.34 million worth of personnel and budget savings,
according to the Department of Budget and Management
(DBM).
Rationalization is a long process says
Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin, but a necessary step
that will help reduce fiscal strains in the next three
years. Instead of waiting for legislation to reengineer
the bureaucracy, a committee headed by the Executive
Secretary endorsed a series of Executive Orders to reorganize
the executive branch.
Secretary Boncodin recently endorsed EO
366 to give incentive options to government employees
affected by the streamlining. It directs heads of departments,
GOCCs and GFIs to prepare their respective rationalization
plans. The plan should indicate the disposition of their
functions, programs, projects, organizational units,
agencies, staffing, effects of the streamlined setup
on the budgetary allocations, the strategies to be taken
in conveying the rationalization process and the timetable
for its implementation.
The DBM is also expected to submit its
recommendations to the President in case an agency fails
to come up with its own rationalization plan. During
implementation, the agencies concerned are prohibited
to hire or renew contracts of personnel, except for
newly created offices.
Meanwhile, the Civil Service Commission
has the option to assign employees (who would opt to
remain in government service) to agencies that need
additional manpower. Those who choose to leave the service
could get separation benefits ranging from P50,000 to
P1.5 million.
The following agencies, through a series
of executive orders, have been abolished so far:
| EO 60 - 12/11/01
|
| 1 |
Presidential Executive Task Force
for Relief and Rehabilitation of Central Mindanao |
| 2 |
Inter-Agency Committee for Relief, Rehabilitation
and Development of Areas Affected by Armed Conflicts
in Mindanao (INTERACT MINDANAO) |
| 3 |
Caraga Development Board |
| 4 |
Task Force MALMAR |
| EO 72 - 02/11/02
|
| 1 |
Inter-Agency Committee on Intellectual Property
Rights |
| 2 |
Mindanao Rail System Task Force |
| 3 |
Northwestern Luzon Growth Quadrangle Commission
|
| 4 |
Presidential Committee on Flagship Programs and
Projects (Flagship Committee) |
| 5 |
Program Office for the Central East Asia Growth
Circle |
| 6 |
Philippine International Film and Television Office
|
| 7 |
Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee for National
Programs and Projects in Metro Manila |
| 8 |
Inter-Agency Committee for the Development and
Management of Leyte Enhanced Resource-Based Area
for Productivity Project |
| 9 |
National Committee on the Culture of Peace |
| 10 |
Committee on the President's Urgent Services for
Housing |
| 11 |
Presidential Housing Assistance One-Stop (HAOS)
Center |
| 12 |
Presidential Commission for Mass Housing (PCMH) |
| 13 |
Coordinating Council on Executive Response and
Action for the People |
| 14 |
Inter-Agency Committee on Philippine Schools Overseas |
| 15 |
Inter-Agency Committee on Foreign Students |
| 16 |
Presidential Commission on Educational Reform |
| 17 |
National Heroes Committee |
| 18 |
Inter-Agency Task Force on the Oil Price Increase |
| 19 |
Petrochemical Industry Competitiveness Board |
| 20 |
Presidential Iron and Steel Committee |
| 21 |
Ad-Hoc Fact Finding Committee on Behest Loans |
| 22 |
Executive Committee to Oversee the BOT/BOO Implementation
of the Proposed Silangan Express 2000 Railway System
|
| 23 |
Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board |
| 24 |
Southern Luzon-Central Philippines Rehabilitation
Task Force (SOLCENTAF) |
| 25 |
Executive Committee to Oversee the BOT Implementation
of Solid Waste Management Projects for Waste Disposal
Sites in Carmona (Cavite) and San Mateo (Rizal) |
| 26 |
National Coordinating Council for the Sugar Industry |
| 27 |
Presidential Air Quality Commission |
| 28 |
Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm Joint Working Committee |
| 29 |
Presidential Committee to Study and Take Charge
of the Modernization and Development of Various
Penal Institutions in the Country |
| 30 |
Preparatory Commission on Constitutional Reforms |
| 31 |
Presidential Commission on the New Century and
the Millennium |
| 32 |
Presidential Retirement Income Commission |
| 33 |
Public Acknowledgement Committee for the Participants
of EDSA II (PACPE) |
| 34 |
Task Force for the Development of Payatas in Quezon
City |
| 35 |
Cabinet Projects Coordinating Committee (CPCC) |
| 36 |
Presidential Task Force on Manila Bay Rehabilitation |
| 37 |
Presidential Task Force on Traffic Improvement
and Management (PTF-TRAFIMM) |
| 38 |
Presidential Task Force on Transport Strike and
Mass Action (TRASMA) |
| 39 |
Executive Council on the Suppression of Trafficking
in Persons, Particularly Women and Children (ECSTPPWC) |
| 40 |
Joint Congressional-Executive Task Force on Legislative
Matters for the Social Pact |
| 41 |
Social Protection Coordinating Committee (SPCC) |
| 42 |
Economic Coordinating Council (ECC) |
| 43 |
Economic Mobilization Group (EMG) |
| 44 |
Inter-Agency Committee on Investment Analysis,
Promotion and Management |
| 45 |
Inter-Agency Executive Committee to Assist the
Trustee Committee for the Comprehensive Development
of Welfareville Property in the City of Mandaluyong |
| 46 |
Inter-Agency Task Force to Prepare and Implement
the Plans and Programs for the Maintenance and Beautification
of all Roads Leading to the Domestic and International
Gateways in Metro Manila |
| 47 |
Institutional and Performance Audit Team on the
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) |
| 48 |
Inter-Agency Committee to Oversee the Turnover
and Development of Properties in Makati Held by
the Philippine Development Alternatives Foundation,
Inc. (PADFI) and Presidential Commission on Good
|
| 49 |
Inter-Agency Committee to Study Proposals for
Reorienting the Basic Mandate of the Social Security
System (SSS) as a Social Institution Instead of
a Financial Institution |
| 50 |
Inter-Agency Steering Committee to Assist LGUs
in the Preparation and Completion of Their Comprehensive
Land Use Plans (CLUPs) |
| 51 |
Inter-Agency Task Force to Combat Securities-Fraud |
| 52 |
Multi-Sectoral Consultative Task Force |
| 53 |
Ad-Hoc Coconut Levy Funds Audit Committee |
| 54 |
Committee on Presidential Foreign Travels and
Coordinating Working Committee on Overseas Presidential
Visits |
| 55 |
Task Force to Study and Determine the Settlement
of the Obligations of the National Government to
SGS |
| 56 |
Special Committee on the Resettlement of Informal
Settlers in Antipolo, Rizal |
| 57 |
Taņon Strait Commission (TSC) |
| 58 |
Maglanco Area Development Coordinating Council
(MADCC) |
| 59 |
Mindanao Coordinating Council (MCC) |
| 60 |
Mindanao Peace and Development Multi-Sectoral
Agency Task Force |
| 61 |
Special Development Planning Task Group to Undertake
Economic and Social Development Planning for the
Special Zone of Peace and Development |
| Abolished
subject to conditions |
| 1 |
Lingayen Gulf Coastal Area Management Commission
(LGCAMC) |
| 2 |
Mt. Makiling Reserve Area and Laguna de Bay Commission
(MMRALBC) |
| 3 |
Presidential Commission on Rizal-Laguna-Aurora-Quezon
Growth Area (RIZLAQUE) |
| 4 |
Banaue Rice Terraces Task Force (BRTTF) |
| 5 |
Bicol Tourism Special Development Project Commission
(BTSDPC) |
| 6 |
Vigan Heritage Village Commission (VHVC) |
| 7 |
Aklan Provincial Tourism Special Development Project
Task Force (APTSDPTF) |
| 8 |
Sulu Development Task Force (SDTF) |
| 9 |
Davao Integrated Development Board (DIBD) |
| 10 |
Central Mindanao Development Task Force (CMDTF) |
| 11 |
Basilan Development Task Force (BDTF) |
| 12 |
Cagayan de Oro-Iligan Corridor Special Development
Project Steering Committee |
| 13 |
Gingoog Bay Development Council (GBDC) |
| 14 |
Zamboanga City Council of Elders |
| 15 |
Zamboanga Peninsula and Basilan Province (ZAMBAS)
Regional Project Development Board |
| 16 |
Inter-Agency Committee on Land Titling Anomalies
in General Santos City |
| EO 80 - 03/11/02
|
| 1 |
Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development |
| 2 |
Special Zone of Peace and Development (SZOPAD) |
| 3 |
Consultative Assembly |
| EO 112 -
07/16/02 |
| 1 |
National Anti-Crime Commission |
| EO 145 -
11/02/2002 |
| 1 |
Office of the Presidential Adviser for Children's
Affairs |
| 2 |
National Drug Law Enforcement and Prevention Coordinating
Center |
| 3 |
Greater Metropolitan Manila Solid Waste Management
Committee |
| 4 |
National Maritime Safety Coordinating Council |
| 5 |
Cabinet Oversight Committee on Peacekeeping and
Development Operations |
| 6 |
Special Task Force on the Winding-Up of the Operations
of the Cordillera Administrative Region |
| 7 |
Task Force on Additional Incentives Package for
Investors |
| 8 |
Inter-Agency Task Force for Coastal Environmental
Protection |
| 9 |
National Program for Unification and Development
Council |
| 10 |
National Peace Forum |
| 11 |
Presidential Task Force on the 20/20 Initiative
|
| 12 |
World Trade Organization/ASEAN Free Trade Area
Advisory Commission |
| 13 |
National Government Center Housing Committee |
| 14 |
Duty Free Oversight Committee |
| 15 |
Committee for the Education for Peace Program
|
| 16 |
Committee to Conduct the Public Bidding for the
Reinsurance of the Properties of the SSS Insured
with the GSIS |
| EO 334 -
07/20/04 |
| Information Technology and Electronic
Commerce Council |
| EO 354 -
08/30/04 |
| Office of the Presidential Adviser
for Regional Development |
| EO 355 -
09/08/04 |
| Presidential Committee on Effective
Governance |
| EO 357 - 09/14/04 |
| 1 |
Agno River Basin Development Commission |
| 2 |
Atlas Commission |
| 3 |
Movie and Television Review and Classification
Board Appeals Committee |
| 4 |
Office Development Assistance Absorption Office |
| 5 |
Office of the Presidential Adviser on Agricultural
Modernization |
| 6 |
Public-Private Sector Task Force to Coordinate
Philippine Participation in the Post-War Reconstruction
of Iraq |
| 7 |
Office of the Presidential Adviser for Constitutional
Reforms |
| 8 |
Office of the Presidential Adviser for Strategic
Projects |
| 9 |
Presidential Commission for the Central Luzon
Growth Corridor |
| 10 |
Office of the Anti-Smuggling Presidential Adviser |
| 11 |
Office of the Presidential Adviser for Special
Concerns |
| 12 |
Presidential Assistant for Mindanao |
| The following agencies have
likewise been abolished, but were not included inasmuch
as they are attached to different departments: |
| 1 |
North Luzon Development Plan Management Office
- Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) |
| 2 |
Bipartisan Executive-Legislative Advisory Council
on the Sabah Issues - Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA) |
| EO 368 - 10/05/04 |
| 1 |
Madrasah Development Coordinating Committee |
