WHEREAS, the development and retention of a competent and efficient work force in the public service is a primary concern of government;

WHEREAS, the Administrative Code mandates the establishment of a continuing program of career and personnel development for all government employees at all levels;

WHEREAS, central staff agencies and specialized institutions are mandated to conduct continuing centralized training for staff specialists from the different agencies in their functional areas of specialization;

WHEREAS, public and private colleges and universities and similar institutions are encouraged to organize and carry out continuing programs of executive development;

WHEREAS, each government department or agency, province or city or municipality are mandated to establish, maintain and promote a systematic plan of action for personnel training at all levels in accordance with standards laid down by the Civil Service Commission;

WHEREAS, to promote professionalization of the bureaucracy, the Civil Service Commission has set masters degree as minimum qualification standard for Division Chiefs and up;

WHEREAS, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 205, the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) is mandated to carry out human resource development programs designed to instill development perspectives and advance management capability in the leadership of key sectors of the government and the economy;

WHEREAS, the DAP is a leading public institution that organizes and carries out continuing programs of executive development as well as management and development- oriented degree programs and certificate courses in line with government ™s objective of professionalizing public managers;

WHEREAS, the Commission on Higher Education recognizes the authority of DAP to offer masters program by virtue of its charter and in accordance with Section 27, Batas Pambansa Bilang 232;

WHEREAS, in order to foster more efficient and effective use of scarce government resources for training and human resource development, selected management and development-oriented training and related courses conducted by government agencies and other public and private training institutions may be accredited and granted equivalent units by the DAP towards a graduate degree;

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

SECTION 1. Institutionalization of Accreditation and Equivalency Program for Management and Development-Oriented Training and Related Courses. The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) under its graduate program, in collaboration with relevant oversight agencies, is hereby directed to establish an accreditation and equivalency system and standard for credit of management and development-oriented training and related courses conducted for government personnel by government agencies and other public and private training institutions.

SECTION 2. Objectives of Accreditation and Equivalency Program. The Accreditation and Equivalency Program aims to:

1. Support the government ™s goal to professionalize public managers in the bureaucracy;

2. Recognize the quality of existing course offerings and award credit for course work towards a graduate degree;

3. Foster coherence and synergy of policies and programs on career and personnel development for government employees; and

4. Promote a more efficient and effective use of scarce government resources for training and human resource development.

SECTION 3. Coverage of Accreditation. All departments and agencies including government-owned and controlled corporations and public training institutions under the executive department are encouraged to collaborate with the DAP to secure graduate degree credits or equivalency of their management and development-oriented training and related courses for government personnel.

All other offices, including local government units and public training institutions under the Legislative, Judiciary and Constitutional bodies may apply for graduate degree credits and equivalency of their respective programs under the DAP graduate program.

Private training institutions and individuals may also apply for accreditation and equivalency under the DAP graduate program of their similar programs.

SECTION 4. Modes of Accreditation. Accreditation is the acceptance and acknowledgment that attendance at a particular training course to be awarded credit in lieu of taking an equivalent subject at the DAP graduate program complies with the standards established by DAP. Accreditation may be made through three modes: (a) accreditation of DAP-managed training, (b) accreditation of agency-managed training and/or courses offered by public and private training institutions, and (c) accreditation of equivalency for prior professional experiences.

SECTION 5. Accreditation of DAP-managed Training. Selected management and development-oriented training programs designed and implemented by DAP are given credit based on the subject matter and duration of training provided that these meet the requirements of the DAP graduate program. Credit for duration of training is one (1) unit for 24 hour training; two (2) units for 40 hours; and three (3) units for 56 hours or longer. A maximum of 18 units of major courses of the DAP masters program may be accredited.

SECTION 6. Accreditation of Agency-managed Training and/or Courses Offered by Public and Private Training Institutions. Government departments and agencies, including government owned and controlled corporations and other public and private training institutions, must apply for accreditation of their particular training or course offering prior to the conduct of the course or training. Accreditation of agency- managed training is by course. Credit for duration of training is one (1) unit for 24 hour training; two (2) units for 40 hours; and three (3) units for 56 hours or longer. A maximum of 15 units of major courses of the DAP masters program may be accredited.

SECTION 7. Accreditation of Equivalency for Prior Professional Experiences. Graduate degree credit may be granted based on the position of the individual applicant in his/her organization. Individual applicant who has served as Undersecretary or its equivalent rank is given credit for the major subjects in the masters program. Directors III and higher may be awarded corresponding credits at the Dean ™s discretion after a targeted interview. The DAP shall set the other remaining requirements for conferment of a masters degree.

SECTION 8. Individual Application for Accreditation. Individual applicants may apply for credit in DAP graduate program accredited courses or previous subjects taken in other graduate schools; provided that the accreditation shall be limited to three (3) units for non-core subjects. The assignment of credit for courses taken in other graduate schools shall be subject to the assessment procedure of the DAP and approval thereof shall be at the discretion of the Dean.

SECTION 9. Funding. The government shall provide the DAP sufficient amount as government counterpart to establish a Trust Fund for the institutionalization of the Accreditation and Equivalency Program. The required amount, to be drawn from available funds of the government, shall be determined by the Department of Budget and Management, in consultation with the DAP.

The DAP shall submit an annual report to the Office of the President on the accomplishments and outcomes of the Accreditation and Equivalency Program.

SECTION 10. Establishment of Government Human Resource Development Fund. To ensure adequate and steady funding for competency development of government personnel, all departments and agencies including government-owned and controlled corporations are directed to set aside a portion of their Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) budget for competency development in the amount equivalent to 0.1% of the budget for Personal Services (PS). The application for accreditation and equivalency of agency-managed trainings, participation of government personnel to accredited training programs, and other staff competency development shall be charged to this Fund.

SECTION 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The DAP, in consultation with relevant oversight agencies and stakeholders, shall immediately issue the necessary implementing rules and regulations of this order.

SECTION 12. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect upon its publication in a newspaper of national circulation.

(SGD.) GLORIA M. ARROYO

By the President:

(SGD.) LEANDRO R. MENDOZA
  Executive Secretary