EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 72 - RATIONALIZING THE AGENCIES UNDER OR ATTACHED TO THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

WHEREAS, public officers and government in general have the constitutional duty to serve the Filipino people with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency;

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Administration to improve the quality and efficiency of public service to the Filipino people by continually adopting institutional improvements and innovations in the bureaucracy and enhancing the capacity of the President to manage the Executive Department and supervise agencies requiring greater attention by the President;

WHEREAS, Sec. 31, Chapter 10, Title III, Book III of Executive Order No. 292 dated July 25, 1987, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987, provides continuing authority to the President to reorganize the administrative structure of the Office of the President;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

Section 1. Declaration of Policy. — It is the policy of the Administration to undertake a streamlining program to rationalize the organization and supervision of the agencies under or attached to the Office of the President.

An agency shall be placed under or attached to the department best able to provide policy or program guidance or exercise administrative supervision. An agency shall be placed under or attached to the Office of the President only if it is chaired by the President, or if its mandate or functional concerns require the immediate attention of the President, or cut across sectors or cannot be aligned with those of any of the departments, or if it renders direct staff support to the President.

Agencies created by the President which have fulfilled their mandate, or perform functions properly pertaining to other departments, agencies or local government units, or have remained dormant shall be abolished, deactivated, merged, consolidated, transferred to other departments or agencies, or their functions, positions, personnel, assets and liabilities transferred to other departments or agencies.

Sec. 2. Initial Implementation of Streamlining Program. — Agencies presently under or attached to the Office of the President listed in Annex “A” hereof shall be transferred to the corresponding departments or agencies, subject to the conditions stated therein. Within thirty (30) days from the issuance of this Executive Order, the Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council shall submit his recommendations to the Presidential Committee on Effective Governance (PCEG) regarding the rationalization of agencies transferred to it.

Agencies presently under or attached to the Office of the President listed in Annexes “B” and “C” hereof shall be abolished; Provided, that those listed in Annex “C” hereof shall be abolished, subject to the following:

(a) The Department of Budget and Management shall consult the local government units concerned for possible turnover of local or area-specific programs and projects.

(b) Where the local government units concerned are willing to perform and fund the functions of the agency to be abolished, the Department of Budget and Management shall arrange for the transfer of functions, positions, personnel, and assets, as may be necessary.

(c) The Department of Budget and Management shall oversee the winding-up of the activities of the agencies whose programs and projects are not accepted by the local government units concerned.

Sec. 3. Winding-up and Disposition of Functions, Positions, Personnel, Assets and Liabilities of Abolished Agencies. — The winding-up of the abolished agencies, including the disposition or transfer of their functions, positions, personnel, and assets, as may be necessary, shall be done immediately upon the issuance of this Executive Order and completed not later than April 15, 2002.

Sec. 4. Continuous Implementation of Streamlining Program. — Within sixty (60) days from the issuance of this Order, the PCEG shall submit to the President its recommendations for possible abolition, deactivation, merger, consolidation, transfer to other departments or agencies, or transfer of functions, positions, personnel, assets and liabilities of agencies under or attached to Office of the President not included in this Executive Order.

Sec. 5. Oversight. — The Department of Budget and Management is hereby directed to oversee the winding-up of agencies under this Executive Order, including the final disposition or transfer of their functions, positions, personnel, assets and liabilities. The Department of Budget and Management is hereby authorized to issue, upon consultation with the Civil Service Commission and the Commission on Audit and subject to the approval of the PCEG, the implementing guidelines for the winding-up of agencies and the final disposition or transfer of their functions, positions, personnel, assets and liabilities in order to achieve the effective implementation of this Executive Order. 

Sec. 6. Reporting Requirement. — The Department of Budget and Management, in coordination with the PCEG, shall submit a Final Report to the President on the implementation of this Executive Order.

Sec. 7. Effectivity. — This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

City of Manila, February 11, 2002.

ANNEX “A”
LIST OF THIRTEEN (13) AGENCIES TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Two (2) agencies attending to locally funded projects of the Office of the President:

1. Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission   to the Metropolitan Manila
   Development Authority

2. Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee to the Department of Environment and
  to Prepare and Coordinate the Natural Resources; provided, that the
  Implementation of a Land committee shall complete the long-term
  Administration and Management Program Land Administration and
  Management Program not later than
   September 2003

Eleven (11) Task Forces and similar entities:

3. Cabinet Supervisory Committee on     to the Office of the Presidential
  the Implementation of the GRP-MNLF Adviser on the Peace Process
  Peace Agreement

4. Bipartisan Executive — Legislative to the Department of Foreign Affairs
  Advisory Council on the Sabah Issue

5. Inter-Agency Committee to Draft to the Department of Foreign Affairs;
  Policy Guidelines and Framework for     provided, that the Committee shall be
Philippine Participation in UN     abolished upon finalization of the
Peacekeeping Operations  policy guidelines

6. National Government Center (NGC)   to the Housing and Urban
  East-Side Development Committee   Development Coordinating Council

7. Northrail Resettlement Project   to the Housing and Urban
  Committee Development Coordinating Council

8. Southrail Resettlement Project to the Housing and Urban
  Committee   Development Coordinating Council

9. Inter-Agency Executive Committee to    to the Housing and Urban
  Oversee the Comprehensive    Development Coordinating Council
  Development of the National Housing
  Property in North Triangle, Quezon City

10. Privatization Council to the Department of Finance

11. Ad-Hoc Committee on the Utilization to the Department of Finance;
   and Disposition of Real Properties of provided, that the Committee shall be
  the Philippine Government Located   rationalized in relation to the
  Locally and Abroad Privatization Management Office and
   units under or attached to it

12. Special Task Force Against   to the Department of Finance;
   Irregularities Committed in Agencies provided, that the Task Force shall be
   Attached to or under the Department rationalized
    of Finance

13. Socsargen Fishing Industry    to the Socsargen Area
    Steering Committee  Development Project Office

1. Inter-Agency Committee on Intellectual Property Rights   HICSTa
2. Mindanao Rail System Task Force
3. Northwestern Luzon Growth Quadrangle Commission
4. Presidential Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects
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 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 Center
12. Presidential Commission for Mass Housing
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
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 Millenium
32. Presidential Retirement Income Commission
33. Public Acknowledgment Committee for the Participants of EDSA II
34. Task Force for the Development of Payatas in Quezon City
35. Cabinet Projects Coordinating Committee
36. Presidential Task Force on Manila Bay Rehabilitation
37. Presidential Task Force on Traffic Improvement and Management
38. Presidential Task Force on Transport Strike and Mass Action
39. Executive Council on the Suppression of Trafficking in Persons, Particularly Women and
Children 
40. Joint Congressional-Executive Task Force on Legislative Matters for the Social Pact
41. Social Protection Coordinating Committee
42. Economic Coordinating Council
43. Economic Mobilization Group
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
48. Inter-Agency Committee to Oversee the Turnover and Development of Properties in Makati
   Held by the Philippine Development Alternatives Foundations, Inc. and Presidential
Commission on Good Government to the National Government and National Power
   Corporation
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 Local Government Units in the Preparation and
   Completion of Their Comprehensive Land Use Plans
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. Tañon Strait Commission
58. Maglanco Area Development Coordinating Council
59. Mindanao Coordinating Council 
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

1. Lingayen Gulf Coastal Area Management Commission
2. Mt. Makiling Reserve Area and Laguna de Bay Commission
3. Presidential Commission on Rizal-Laguna-Aurora-Quezon Growth Area
4. Banaue Rice Terraces Task Force
5. Bicol Tourism Special Development Project Commission
6. Vigan Heritage Village Commission
7. Aklan Provincial Tourism Special Development Project Task Force
8. Sulu Development Task Force  
9. Davao Integrated Development Board
10. Central Mindanao Development Task Force

11. Basilan Development Task Force
12. Cagayan de Oro-Iligan Corridor Special Development Project Steering Committee
13. Gingoog Bay Development Council
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