EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 297
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 297 -
REORGANIZATION OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESS SECRETARY PRESCRIBING ITS
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS AND OTHER PURPOSES
WHEREAS,
the reorganization of the government is mandated expressly in Article
II, Section 1 (a), and Article III of the Freedom Constitution;
WHEREAS, pursuant to Executive Order No. 5 (1986), it is directed that
necessary and proper changes in the organizational and functional
structures of the government, its agencies and instrumentalities, be
affected in order to promote efficiency and effectiveness in the
delivery of public services;
WHEREAS, there exists a vital need to create awareness and inform the
public about the actions of government and the national leadership in
its task of rebuilding a strong and dynamic nation;
WHEREAS, the national leadership, which has committed itself to the
ideals of press freedom, has seen fit not to abdicate its share of
voice in the formulation of public opinion;
WHEREAS, it is incumbent upon the national leadership to provide true
and correct information to the public and to utilize and consolidate as
much of its information resources as possible to ensure an effective
and efficient information role;
WHEREAS, realizing that the Office of the Press Secretary was precisely
created by Memorandum Order No. 32, dated September 1, 1986 and
Executive Order No. 92, dated December 17, 1986, to ensure that the
government’s point of view is communicated to the public especially on
issues affecting the nation’s welfare, it is necessary that the
mandate, powers and functions of this Office be redefined to avoid
overlapping and to fix responsibilities therein;
WHEREAS, Article XVIII, Section 16 of the 1987 Constitution recognizes
that the reorganization of the government shall be continued even after
the ratification of the Constitution.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by
virtue of the powers vested in me by the sovereign will of the Filipino
people and the Constitution, do hereby order:
Section 1. Title. — This Executive Order shall
otherwise be known as the Reorganization Act of the Office of the Press
Secretary.
Sec. 2. Reorganization. — The Office of the Press
Secretary hereinafter referred to as Office, is hereby reorganized,
structurally and functionally, in accordance with the provisions of
this Executive Order.
Sec. 3. Declaration of Policy. — The Office of the
Press Secretary shall be the primary policy, planning, programming, and
coordinating entity for the conduct of a relevant and effective
information and communication management program that will present the
activities, policies, and directions of the Presidency and the
Government.
Sec. 4. Mandate. — The primary functions of the
Office shall be the formulation and implementation of an integrated
program of information and developmental communication that will
present the work of the Presidency, develop public understanding of
activities, policies and enhance public trust and support at the
national, regional, barrio, and barangay level.
Sec. 5. Functions. — The Office of the Press
Secretary shall perform the following functions:
1.
Provide information to the public utilizing all government media
services under its control;
2. Coordinate
the functions of its absorbed offices for the purpose of providing
government with its “share of voice” in the free mass media
environment;
3. Administer
the functions and support services needed to fulfill its
responsibilities;
4. Develop,
propose, and implement necessary policy guidelines and mechanisms
pertinent to its main function of speaking on behalf of the government
and the national leadership;
5. Rationalize
a viable and manageable government-owned information structure that
will provide the government and the national leadership with
instantaneous access to the people;
6. Develop and
manage a feedback mechanism that shall provide the people a venue to
contribute to the creation of policies affecting them;
7. Organize
and maintain field offices where necessary, domestically and
internationally, to ensure that government information reaches the
intended target audiences;
8. Maintain
and operate such media facilities as is necessary, to strengthen its
capabilities for information delivery through print, broadcast,
electronic, and other special media vehicles.
Sec. 6. Structural Organization. — The Office,
aside from the Office Proper, shall consist of Bureaus.
Sec. 7. Office Proper. — The Office Proper shall
consist of the following units:
1.
Office of the Press Secretary
2. Offices of
the Undersecretaries
3. Office of
the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Finance
4.
Administrative and Finance
5.
Administrative Service
6. Financial
and Management Service
7. Media
Research and Development Staff
Sec. 8. Press Secretary. — The authority and
responsibility for the exercise of the powers and the discharge of
functions of the Office shall be vested in the Press Secretary, who
shall have the rank of a Cabinet member, with all the rights and
privileges appurtenant thereto, and who shall be appointed by the
President.
Sec. 9. Functions of the Press Secretary. — The
functions of the Press Secretary shall be as follows:
1.
Act as the Presidential Spokesman and attend to the information needs
of the President;
2. Provide
information regarding the plans, programs and activities of the
President to the public;
3. Maintain
liaison and close coordination with government departments and agencies
involved in preparing and planing the activities of the President;
4. Prepare and
develop communication programs on the policies, activities, and
programs of the Presidency;
5. Coordinate
with the various media, both local and foreign, in disseminating
information regarding the affairs of the Presidency;
6. Assume full
responsibility for the accomplishment of the Office’s objectives and
operations;
7. Establish
the policies and standards for the operation of the Office pursuant to
the programs of the Government and the President;
8. Promulgate
rules and regulations necessary to implement Office objectives,
policies and functions;
9. Exercise
direct supervision and control over all offices and units under the
Office;
10. Delegate
authority for the performance of any function to officers and employees
under his direction; and
11. Perform
such other functions as may be provided by law or as may be assigned by
the President.
Sec. 10. Office of the Press Secretary. — The
Office of the Press Secretary shall be composed of the Secretary and
his immediate staff.
Sec. 11. Undersecretaries. — The Press Secretary
shall be assisted by two (2) Undersecretaries who shall also be
appointed by the President, upon the recommendation of the Secretary,
and whose respective functional areas of responsibility shall be
determined by the Press Secretary.
Sec. 12. Functions of the Undersecretaries. — The
functions of the Undersecretaries shall be as follows:
1.
Assist the Press Secretary in the formulation and implementation of
Office objectives and policies;
2. Oversee
operational activities of the Office for which he shall be responsible
to the Press Secretary;
3. Coordinate
the programs and projects of the Office, and be responsible for its
economical, efficient and effective administration;
4. Serve as
deputy to the Press Secretary in all matters relating to the operations
of the Office;
5. Perform
such other functions as may be provided by law or as may be directed by
the Press Secretary.
Sec. 13. Reorganized and Merged Agencies. — The
following agencies in the Office of the Press Secretary are hereby
reorganized:
1.
The Bureau of Broadcasts and Radyo Ng Bayan are hereby merged into
Bureau of Broadcast Services.
2. The
Presidential Press Staff and the sub-offices under it, Philippine News
Agency and its national offices, and the International Press Center are
hereby merged into the News and Information Bureau.
3. The Bureau
of National and Foreign Information is hereby reorganized and renamed
as the Bureau of Communications Services.
Sec. 14. Attached Agencies. — The Presidential
Broadcast Staff (RTVM), which is hereby created, is hereby attached to
the Office of the Press Secretary. The People’s Television 4 and its
affiliate stations are hereby attached as separate concerns to the
Office of the Press Secretary.
Sec. 15. The Bureau of Broadcast Services. — The
Bureau of Broadcast Services shall be responsible for providing
broadcast information on the activities, policies, and directions of
the Government and the Presidency, thru the use of broadcast media
throughout the country.
It shall be headed by a Broadcast Network Manager and assisted by an
Assistant Broadcast Network Manager, both to be appointed by the
President, upon the recommendation of the Press Secretary.
There shall be in the Bureau of Broadcast Services the following
divisions: Engineering, Radio News, and Production.
The Bureau of Broadcast Services shall have the following functions:
1.
Provide nationwide broadcasting services primarily for the Government’s
and Presidency’s information and communication requirements;
2. Provide
broadcast services to all regions of the country with particular focus
on area not adequately served by private networks;
3. Provide
broadcast programming designed to preserve and promote the national
heritage and culture, advanced educational goals, and support the
thrusts and goals of the Presidency and the government;
4. Continually
improve programming and dissemination capabilities geared toward
strengthened and innovative program syndication in support of
countryside development;
5. Provide
auxiliary services to the broadcast requirements of various private
broadcast stations, especially in the areas of news and public affairs
where the latter require and need such services;
6. Perform
such other functions as may be provided by law.
Sec. 16. The News and Information Bureau. — The
News and Information Bureau shall be responsible for providing
efficient, effective, productive, and economical services relating to
the development and formulation of a domestic and foreign information
program for the Government, in general, and the Presidency, in
particular, including the development of strategies for the
dissemination of information on specific government
programs.
The News and Information Bureau shall be headed by a Director and
assisted by an Assistant Director, both to the appointed by the
President, upon the recommendation of the Press Secretary.
Consisting the News and Information Bureau are: Presidential Press
Staff, Media Accreditation and Relations Division, and the Philippine
News Agency.
The News and Information Bureau shall have the following functions:
1.
Formulate, develop, and implement a national information program for
the Government and the Presidency, including the strategies in support
of specific national development programs;
2. Formulate,
develop and implement an overseas information program including
strategies for the effective dissemination of information about the
Philippines, the policies, activities, and programs of the Government
and the Presidency;
3. Establish
liaison with the representatives of domestic and foreign press, and
provide assistance, as is deemed necessary, relevant to the projects,
policies, and activities of the Government and the Presidency;
4. Establish
and maintain a system of accreditation for local and foreign members of
media;
5. Make
arrangements for Presidential press and broadcast coverages and
conferences;
6. Provide
services relative to day-to-day and special information and
communication requirements of the Government and the Presidency,
including the programming and monitoring of significant projects and
activities on media relations and other media-related matters;
7. Provide
daily news services to both local and foreign publics on the policies,
activities, and programs of the Government and the Presidency, and
maintain a wire service operation, for the purpose of effecting
coverage of events and developments relevant to the information needs
of the Government and the Presidency;
8. Produce and
distribute information materials, such as: handbills, folders,
pamphlets, posters, and other publications on the directions, policies,
programs, and activities of the Government and the Presidency;
9. Perform
such other functions as may be provided by law.
Sec. 17. The Bureau of Communications Services. —
The Bureau of Communications Services shall be responsible for the
development of communication services, and for providing services
relating to policy formulation, communication planning, project
development, research and evaluation, and the coordination of
information planning within the framework of the over-all thrusts and
priorities of the national development plan.
Consisting the Bureau of Communications Services are: Planning
Division, Special Operations Division and Special Production Division.
The Bureau of Communications Services shall have the following
functions:
1.
Develop and conduct a public information program that will enhance
awareness to and secure positive public acceptance and support of the
programs and activities of the Government and the Presidency;
2. Coordinate
information dissemination programs and projects including campaigns
directed at the bureau’s specific target publics;
3. Supervise
the over-all conceptualization and production of special publications
and audio-visual information/communication materials for the Government
and the Presidency;
4. Supervise
the conceptualization, production, printing and dissemination of all
information/ communication materials and publications in support of the
activities of the Government and the Presidency;
5. Perform
such other functions as may be provided by law.
Sec. 18. Transitory Measures. — The Bureau of
Broadcast Services and the Philippine News Agency are authorized to
sell their services at rates not less than those offered by comparable
private firms, Provided, That income realized shall be deposited with
the National Treasury and shall accrue to the General Fund: Provided,
further, That income realized shall be used to upgrade and update
facilities, equipment and services, and to augment maintenance and
other operating expenses for network operations, upon submission of a
special budget for the purpose: Provided, finally, That such special
budget shall be subject to the approval of the Department of Budget and
Management.
In case of merger or consolidation of government units, the new or
surviving unit shall exercise the functions (subject to reorganization
herein prescribed and the laws, rules and regulations pertinent to the
exercise of such functions) and shall acquire the appropriations,
funds, records, equipment, facilities, choses in action, rights, other
assets, liabilities, if any, and personnel, as may be necessary, of (1)
the units that compose the merged unit or (2) the absorbed unit, as the
case may be. Such personnel shall, in hold-over capacity, continue to
perform their respective duties and responsibilities and receive the
corresponding salaries and benefits: Provided, That any such personnel,
whose position is not included in the new position structure and
staffing pattern approved and prescribed by the Secretary under Section 19 hereof or who is not reappointed, shall be deemed separated from the
service and shall be entitled to the benefits provided under the second
paragraph of the same Section 19.
Sec. 19. Position Structure and Staffing Pattern.
— Upon approval of this Executive Order, the officers and employees of
the Office shall, in a hold-over capacity, continue to perform their
respective duties and responsibilities and receive the corresponding
salaries and benefits unless in the meantime they are separated from
the service.
The new position structure and staffing pattern of the Office shall be
approved and prescribed by the Secretary within one hundred twenty
(120) days from the approval of this Executive Order and the authorized
positions created thereunder shall be filled with regular appointments
by him or by the President as the case may be. Those incumbents whose
positions are not included therein or who are reappointed shall be
deemed separated from the service. Those separated from the service
shall receive retirement benefits to which they may be entitled under
existing laws, rules, and regulations. Otherwise, they shall be paid
the equivalent of one month basic salary for every year of service in
the government, or fraction thereof, computed on the basis of the
highest salary received, but in no case shall such payment exceed the
equivalent of twelve (12) months salary.
Sec. 20. Periodic Performance Evaluation. — The
Office is hereby required to formulate and enforce a system of
measuring and evaluating periodically and objectively the performance
of the Office and submit the same annually to the President.
Sec. 21. Prohibition Against Change. — No change
in the reorganization herein prescribed shall be valid except upon
prior approval of the President for the purpose of promoting efficiency
and effectiveness in the delivery of public services.
Sec. 22. Funding. — Funds needed to carry out the
provisions of this Executive Order shall be taken from funds available
in the Office, Provided, That no funds shall be allocated for People’s
Television 4 and its affiliate stations.
Sec. 23. Implementing Authority of the Secretary.
— The Secretary shall issue such rules, regulations and other issuances
as may be necessary to ensure the effective implementation of the
provisions of this Executive Order.
Sec. 24. Separability. — Any portion or provision
of this Executive Order that may be declared unconstitutional shall not
have the effect of nullifying other portions or provisions hereof as
long as such remaining portions can still subsist and be given effect
in their entirety.
Sec. 25. Repealing Clause. — All laws, ordinances,
rules, regulations, other issuances or parts hereof, which are
inconsistent with this Executive Order, are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.
Sec. 26. Effectivity Clause. — This Executive
Order shall take effect immediately.
APPROVED in the City of Manila,
Philippines, this 25th day of July in the year of Our Lord, nineteen
hundred and eighty-seven.
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Since 19.07.98.