EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 7
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 7 - PROVIDING
FOR THE CREATION OF A PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT FOR REGIONAL CONCERNS
SYSTEM AND DEFINING THE FUNCTIONS, POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANTS
WHEREAS,
it is the policy of the State to further decentralize the operations of
the government down to the field in order to effectively ensure the
delivery of basic services to the people;
WHEREAS, issues and concerns at the local level transcend provincial
boundaries;
WHEREAS, under the Administrative Code of 1987, the President has the
continuing authority to reorganize the administrative structure of the
Office of the President to achieve simplicity, economy, and efficiency;
WHEREAS, this policy is implemented by, among others, grouping local
government units and regions into areas of responsibility in order to
allow greater coordination and more efficient administration;
NOW THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me, do hereby order:
Section 1. Creation. — There is hereby created the
Presidential Assistant for Regional Concerns (PARECOs). For this
purpose, a Presidential Assistant (PA) shall be appointed to the
following areas to serve as liaison officers of the Office of the
President in the said areas:
1.
Presidential Assistant for Northern Luzon — The provinces of Ilocos
Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela,
Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and the cities of Laoag, San Fernando, Dagupan,
San Carlos, Urdaneta and Santiago.
2.
Presidential Assistant for Bicol Region — The provinces of Albay,
Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon and the
cities of Legaspi, Iriga, and Naga.
3.
Presidential Assistant for Eastern Visayas — The provinces of Biliran,
Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Western Samar, Southern Leyte and
the cities of Ormoc, Tacloban and Calbayog.
4.
Presidential Assistant for Central Visayas — The provinces of Bohol,
Cebu, Negros Oriental, Siquijor and the cities of Tagbilaran, Cebu,
Danao, Lapu-lapu, Mandaue, Toledo, Bais, Canlaon, and Dumaguete.
5.
Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas — The provinces of Aklan,
Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, and the cities of
Roxas, Iloilo, Passi, Bacolod, Bago, Victorias, Cadiz, La Carlota, San
Carlos, Silay, Sagay, Kabankalan and Talisay.
6.
Presidential Assistant for North and South Eastern Mindanao — The
provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Surigao
del Norte, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, South
Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Compostela Valley Province,
Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon and the
cities of Butuan, Surigao, Davao, General Santos, Tagum, Gingoog,
Oroquieta, Ozamis, Tangub, Malaybalay, Cagayan de Oro, and the Island
Garden City of Samal.
7.
Presidential Assistant for Western and Central Mindanao — The provinces
of Basilan, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Lanao del Norte,
and Cotabato and all chartered and the cities of Zamboanga, Pagadian,
Dipolog, Dapitan, Iligan, Kidapawan, Cotabato and Marawi.
The Regional Governor of ARMM, the Executive Director of the Cordillera
Executive Board (CEB) and the Chairman of the Metro Manila Development
Authority (MMDA) shall continue to serve as liaison of the Office of
the President in their respective areas consistent with their mandate,
as provided by law.
Sec. 2. Abolition of OP Extension Offices and CORD
System. — The extension offices of the Office of the President in
Mindanao and Visayas created pursuant to Executive Order No. 7, series
of 1992, are hereby abolished. Likewise, the Cabinet Officer for
Regional Development (CORD) System created pursuant to Administrative
Order No. 55, series of 1988, as amended by Administrative Order No.
95, series of 1988, series of 1988, is hereby abolished.
All existing plantilla positions, equipment, vehicles, and other
physical assets acquired by these offices are hereby transferred to the
Office of the President.
Sec. 3. Functions, Powers, and Responsibilities of
the PA. — The PAs shall have the following functions, powers, and
responsibilities:
1.
Pursue matters/issues in the field that are submitted to the Office of
the President (i.e., socio-economic, political, programs/projects and
others);
2. Monitor
programs/projects/developments deemed critical to the Office of the
President;
3. Undertake
issue resolution as may be directed by the President and/or the
Executive Secretary;
4. Provide
assistance in the preparation and conduct of Presidential visits in the
area; and,
5. Perform
such other functions and duties as the President and or the Executive
Secretary may assign from time to time.
Sec. 4. Rank and Emolument of the PAs. — Each of
the Presidential Assistant for Regional Concerns shall have the
emolument equivalent to an Assistant Secretary (Director V).
Sec. 5. Operating Principles. — The PAs shall not
be another layer in the bureaucracy and shall therefore not duplicate
the regular functions of any government agency, LGUs or existing
regional bodies/councils and commissions, or as may be created by the
President. They shall, however, be designated as members of these
regional bodies as well as other inter-agency commissions and bodies
existing in their areas of responsibility. The PARECO shall not, in any
case, be appointed or elected as Chairman or Head of the Regional
Development Councils (RDCs) and other existing regional bodies and
commissions.
The PAs shall be under the administrative control and supervision of
the Executive Secretary and will submit report to the President,
through the Executive Secretary, copy furnished the Presidential
Management Staff. The PAs shall have no line authority and supervision
over other agencies and local government units.
To ensure coordination and the integration of development programs and
projects in all regions, the Presidential Assistants shall meet every
Monday of the first week of the month in Malacañang, with the
Presidential Legislative Adviser/Head, Presidential Legislative Liaison
Office and the Presidential Assistant for Political Affairs, to be
presided over by the Executive Secretary.
Sec. 6. Technical and Administrative Support. —
The PAs shall hold office at the regional office of the National
Economic Development Authority (NEDA), DBM and NEDA shall rationalize
the eighty (80) plantilla positions allocated to the former extension
offices of the President for the Visayas and Mindanao. These positions
shall likewise be re-allocated proportionately to all PARECOs with the
purpose of providing at most five (5) technical and administrative
staff per PARECO office.
Existing vehicles, office equipment and materials acquired by the OP
extension offices shall likewise be distributed equitably to all
PARECOs.
Sec. 7. Fund Requirement. — The PAs will be
provided with the fund balance of the existing budget for the extension
offices of the President for Visayas and Mindanao, as provided in the
1998 General Appropriations Act and the CORD System, as approved by the
previous President.
Appropriations to sustain the operations of the PARECOs for succeeding
years shall be incorporated in the budget proposal of the OP, based on
a budgetary program to be submitted by each PARECO for purposes of
determining fund requirements, subject to the approval of the President.
Sec. 8. Implementing Guidelines. — The
Implementing Guidelines to operationalize the PARECOs is hereby
attached.
Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. — All orders, issuances,
rules and regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof which are
inconsistent with this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.
Sec. 10. Effectivity. — This Executive Order shall
take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila,
this 30th day of September, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred
and Ninety Eight.
IMPLEMENTING
GUIDELINES
For Presidential Assistants for Regional Concerns (PARECO)
I.
FUNCTIONS
1. Upon instructions of the President and/or the
Executive Secretary, undertake necessary actions on matters submitted
to the Office of the President (i.e., socio-economic, political,
programs, projects, and others).
a)
Regularly submit to the President, through the Executive Secretary,
copy furnished the Presidential Management Staff, updates on the
programs/projects/developments in his area of concern; and
b) Present
updates of critical programs/projects/developments and the required
Presidential intervention, if any, to facilitate implementation
thereof, during the regular monthly meeting with the Executive
Secretary.
2. Monitor program/projects/developments deemed
critical to the Office of the President.
a)
Ensure that all Presidential directives and commitments pertaining to
the development of his/her area of responsibility are properly
implemented and pursued, to include concerns of the following regional
bodies:
1)
Regional Development Council
2) Regional Disaster Coordinating Council
3) Regional Peace and Order Council
4) Regional Project Monitoring Committee
5) Other Area-based special bodies such as:
-
Northwestern Luzon Growth Quadrangle Commission
- North Luzon Growth Trident/Triangle
- Lingayen Gulf Coastal Area Management Commission
- Ifugao Terraces Commission
- Presidential Commission on Taal-Tagaytay
- Presidential Task Force on Maqueda Bay Conservation
- Cagayan-Iligan City Corridor Development Project
- South Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-General
Santos City Special Development
Project
- Presidential
Task Force on Alternative Livelihood for Barter Traders in Mindanao
- Lake Lanao Watershed Protection and Development
Council
- any other special bodies as may be created by the
President;
b) Make
recommendations through the Executive Secretary on any actions that
should be taken by the National Government to accelerate development
efforts in their respective areas of responsibility.
3. Undertake issue resolution as may be directed by
the President and/or Executive Secretary.
a)
Upon instruction of the President and the Executive Secretary,
undertake necessary measures to facilitate resolution of issues; and
b) Submit
recommendations/proposals on the required intervention from the
President and/or the Executive Secretary to address issues in the area,
with the following considerations:
•
Determine whether the matter necessarily requires Presidential
attention, or may be resolved within the levels of departments,
agencies, or LGUs;
• Submit
advance report/issue paper to the Office of the President on the
background, initial actions taken, requested Presidential action, and
recommendations on the specific concerns; and
• Arrange and
propose dialogues between the concerned sectors and the Executive
Secretary and/or the President, if necessary.
c)
Act as liaison officer between the various sectors in his area of
responsibility and the Office of the President.
4. Provide assistance on Presidential Visits and
other activities of the President in the regions In coordination with
the Office of the President — Special Operations Group (OP-SOG):
a)
Identify and screen proposed Presidential activities in his/her area of
responsibility;
b) Coordinate
with proponents/hosts, government agencies and concerned LGUs for the
proposed program of activities for the President;
c) Coordinate
with government agencies and concerned LGUs, and provide timely and
relevant inputs to the Presidential Management Staff, to facilitate
processing of issues and concerns that may be raised to the President
during the Visit;
d) Coordinate
to ensure the timely provision of administrative requirements as may be
required by the OP-SOG for the preparations and actual conduct of the
Presidential activity;
e) Facilitate
coordination meetings to determine the status of preparations for the
Presidential activity; and
f) Prepare and
send letters of gratitude/appreciation to all those who were involved
in the successful implementation of the Presidential activity.
5. Perform such other functions and duties as the
President and/or the Executive Secretary may assign from time to time.
II.
OPERATIONS
1. Submit comprehensive reports to the Office of the
President, through the Executive Secretary, copy furnished the
Presidential Management Staff.
2. Hold regular assessment / coordination meetings
with the Executive Secretary, Presidential Legislative Adviser/Head,
Presidential Legislative Liaison Office and the Presidential Assistant
for Political Affairs every first Monday of the month to discuss status
of issues and concerns to promote regional development.
III.
TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
1. The PARECO shall co-locate with and be provided
ample office spaces at the regional level by the National Economic
Development Authority (NEDA).
2. All existing assets and resources of the abolished
extension offices of the President for the Visayas and Mindanao (by
virtue of EO No. 7, s. of 1998) shall be transferred to the Office of
the President. NEDA in coordination with the Office of the President,
shall re-allocate these properties proportionately (taking into
consideration the size and terrain of the area covered) to the PARECOs
nationwide.
3. DBM and NEDA shall rationalize the existing eighty
(80) plantilla positions duly approved by the DBM for the extension
offices of the President for the Visayas and Mindanao, which are
transferred to the Office of the President by virtue of EO No. 7, s.
1998. These positions shall likewise be re-allocated proportionately to
all PARECOs with the purpose of providing at most five (5) technical
and administrative staff per PARECO office.
All appointments made prior to the issuance of this EO are hereby
revoked.
Remuneration shall be provided to the staff of former PAs for Visayas
and Mindanao who have rendered volunteer services.
IV.
BUDGET
For 1998, DBM shall proportionately re-allocate to the PARECOs
nationwide, the fund balance allotted to the extension offices of the
President for Visayas and Mindanao as provided in the General
Appropriations Act for 1998 and the CORD System as approved by former
President Fidel V. Ramos.
Appropriations to sustain the operations of the PARECO System for
succeeding years shall be incorporated in the budget proposal of the
Office of the President, upon presentation of the respective budget
proposals of the PARECOs, subject to the approval of the
President.
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