WHEREAS, Article X, Section 14 of the Constitution provides that the President shall create regional development councils (RDCs) and other similar bodies composed of local government officials, regional heads of departments and other government offices and representatives from non-governmental organizations within the regions;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 325 provides for the organization structure of RDCs;

WHEREAS, the Article II, Section 18 of the Constitution affirms labor as a primary social and economic force;

WHEREAS, Article XIII, Section 3 also assures the rights of workers to participate in policy and decision-making processes affecting their rights and benefits as may be provided by law;

WHEREAS, consistent with the principles of participation decision-making and empowerment, there is a need to ensure the representation of labor in the RDCs.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, by the powers vested in me by law, hereby amend Executive Order No. 325, Series of 1996, particularly Section 1 thereof, as follows:

œSection 1. Regular Members. The following shall be the regular RDC members:

a. all provincial governors;

b. all city mayors;

c. mayors of municipalities designated as provincial capitals;

d. all presidents of the provincial league of mayors;

e. the mayor of the municipality designated as the regional center;

f. the regional directors of agencies represented in the National Economic and Development Authority Board (NEDA, DAR, DBM, DENR, DOF, DFA, DOH, DILG, DOLE, DPWH, DOST, DTI, DOTC, BSP) and the regional director of DECS, DSWD and;

g. private sector representatives (PSRs), AT LEAST ONE OF WHOM SHALL BE A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LABOR SECTOR, who shall comprise one-fourth of the members of the fully constituted council. 

This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 7th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Six.

(SGD.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(SGD.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary