[ EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 446, January 16, 1991 ]
REORGANIZING THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT INCLUDING ITS IMMEDIATE OFFICES, THE PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANTS/ ADVISERS SYSTEM, AND THE COMMON STAFF SUPPORT SYSTEM
WHEREAS, in these difficult times, the Filipino people expect bold, decisive reforms designed to trim the bureaucracy and streamline government operations;
WHEREAS, the Government should initially and decisively demonstrate its political will to reduce the size of the bureaucracy and streamline systems and procedures by reorganizing the Office of the President, including the immediate Offices, the Presidential Assistants/Advisers System, and the Common Staff Support System;
WHEREAS, the President is empowered under Section 31 of Executive Order No. 292, the Administrative Code of 1987, to reorganize the Office of the President and implement the desired organizational, functional, and administrative changes in response to the clamor of the Filipino people for drastic reforms;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:
SECTION 1. The Presidential Coordinating Assistance System and the Cabinet Assistance System are hereby abolished.
The remaining functions and continuing activities of the abolished systems, if any, shall be absorbed by the Office of the Executive Secretary.
SEC. 2. There shall be a policy and public affairs group headed by a Deputy Executive Secretary, under the Office of the Executive Secretary. This group shall be composed of the Presidential Management Staff, which shall absorb the Cabinet Secretariat, the Presidential Complaints and Action Office, and the Sectoral Liaison Offices. The group shall be responsible for providing common staff support to the President, the Executive Secretary and the Presidential Assistants/Advisers System in such areas as management of the development process, administrative reforms, sectoral liaison, public assistance, strategic research, and public policy formulation.
SEC 3. The Cabinet shall be composed of the heads of Executive Departments as provided under Section 16, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution.
Presidential Advisers and Assistants previously appointed with the rank and emolument of a Department Secretary shall coordinate with the Office of the Executive Secretary in providing staff support to the President. For this purpose; the Executive Secretary shall schedule regular meetings of the Presidential Advisers and Assistants with the President. They may also attend Cabinet meetings at the pleasure of the President
SEC. 4. The Executive Secretary shall implement this Executive Order. For this purpose, the Executive Secretary is hereby authorized to oversee the abolition, consolidation, and merger of the affected offices and to effect the transfer of the functions as well as the agencies from one office to another in the Office of the President.
The Office of the Executive Secretary shall continue to exercise supervision end control over all the various offices presently, under the Office of the President, including the immediate offices arid the Common Staff Support System.
SEC. 5. Consistent with the principle on non-reduction of compensation, the salary and status of the incumbent permanent officials and employees who are transferred or absorbed in the new offices or retained in the existing agencies shall, to the extent allowed by law, be maintained. The rules on compensation prescribed by P.D. No. 985 and R.A. No. 6758 shall govern.
SEC. 6. All officials and employees whose services are terminated by reason of this Executive Order shall, if eligible thereto, be paid the retirement benefits authorized under the general retirement laws. Those who are not entitled to said benefits shall be paid a separation gratuity in the amount equivalent to one (1) month salary for every year of service. Such separation pay and retirement benefits shall have priority of payment out of savings of the Office of the President.
SEC 7. All provisions of Presidential proclamations, orders, instructions, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are in conflict with the provisions of this Executive Order are hereby modified or revoked accordingly.
SEC. 8. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 16th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety-one.
By the President:
(Sgd.) OSCAR M. ORBOS
Executive Secretary
WHEREAS, the Government should initially and decisively demonstrate its political will to reduce the size of the bureaucracy and streamline systems and procedures by reorganizing the Office of the President, including the immediate Offices, the Presidential Assistants/Advisers System, and the Common Staff Support System;
WHEREAS, the President is empowered under Section 31 of Executive Order No. 292, the Administrative Code of 1987, to reorganize the Office of the President and implement the desired organizational, functional, and administrative changes in response to the clamor of the Filipino people for drastic reforms;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:
SECTION 1. The Presidential Coordinating Assistance System and the Cabinet Assistance System are hereby abolished.
The remaining functions and continuing activities of the abolished systems, if any, shall be absorbed by the Office of the Executive Secretary.
SEC. 2. There shall be a policy and public affairs group headed by a Deputy Executive Secretary, under the Office of the Executive Secretary. This group shall be composed of the Presidential Management Staff, which shall absorb the Cabinet Secretariat, the Presidential Complaints and Action Office, and the Sectoral Liaison Offices. The group shall be responsible for providing common staff support to the President, the Executive Secretary and the Presidential Assistants/Advisers System in such areas as management of the development process, administrative reforms, sectoral liaison, public assistance, strategic research, and public policy formulation.
SEC 3. The Cabinet shall be composed of the heads of Executive Departments as provided under Section 16, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution.
Presidential Advisers and Assistants previously appointed with the rank and emolument of a Department Secretary shall coordinate with the Office of the Executive Secretary in providing staff support to the President. For this purpose; the Executive Secretary shall schedule regular meetings of the Presidential Advisers and Assistants with the President. They may also attend Cabinet meetings at the pleasure of the President
SEC. 4. The Executive Secretary shall implement this Executive Order. For this purpose, the Executive Secretary is hereby authorized to oversee the abolition, consolidation, and merger of the affected offices and to effect the transfer of the functions as well as the agencies from one office to another in the Office of the President.
The Office of the Executive Secretary shall continue to exercise supervision end control over all the various offices presently, under the Office of the President, including the immediate offices arid the Common Staff Support System.
SEC. 5. Consistent with the principle on non-reduction of compensation, the salary and status of the incumbent permanent officials and employees who are transferred or absorbed in the new offices or retained in the existing agencies shall, to the extent allowed by law, be maintained. The rules on compensation prescribed by P.D. No. 985 and R.A. No. 6758 shall govern.
SEC. 6. All officials and employees whose services are terminated by reason of this Executive Order shall, if eligible thereto, be paid the retirement benefits authorized under the general retirement laws. Those who are not entitled to said benefits shall be paid a separation gratuity in the amount equivalent to one (1) month salary for every year of service. Such separation pay and retirement benefits shall have priority of payment out of savings of the Office of the President.
SEC 7. All provisions of Presidential proclamations, orders, instructions, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are in conflict with the provisions of this Executive Order are hereby modified or revoked accordingly.
SEC. 8. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 16th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety-one.
(Sgd.) CORAZON C. AQUINO
By the President:
(Sgd.) OSCAR M. ORBOS
Executive Secretary