[ EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 237, July 22, 1987 ]
REORGANIZING THE CABINET SECRETARIAT AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
WHEREAS, the Cabinet is the primary advisory body of the President;
WHEREAS, the Cabinet, in support of the Presidency, serves as a forum for information exchange and feedback, issue discussion and resolution, as well as a coordination and integration mechanism;
WHEREAS, the post of Cabinet Secretary with rank and emolument of a Member of the Cabinet, was created last December 22, 1986, to assist in maximizing the services of the Cabinet to the President;
WHEREAS, the Cabinet Secretariat was authorized to provide the technical and administrative support to the Presidential Committee on Public Ethics and Accountability, created under Administrative Order No. 25, dated May 15, 1987;
WHEREAS, the Cabinet Secretary was mandated to preside over the meetings of the Cabinet Assistance System, as reconstituted, under Memorandum Order No. 96, dated June 2, 1987;
WHEREAS, there is a need to define the powers, functions and structure of and to provide for the reorganization of the existing Cabinet Secretariat;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the sovereign will of the Filipino people and the Constitution, do hereby order:
SECTION 1. Title. - This Executive Order shall otherwise be known as the Act Reorganizing the Cabinet Secretariat.
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the government to strengthen the Office of the President structurally and functionally in the provision of technical support to the Cabinet, the primary advisory council to the President.
SEC. 3. The Cabinet Secretariat. - There is hereby created a Cabinet Secretariat as an integral part of the Office of the President. The Cabinet Secretariat, through a high level support staff, shall assist the President in the establishment of agenda topics for the Cabinet deliberations, or facilitate the discussion of Cabinet meetings.
SEC. 4. Powers and Functions. - To carry out its mandate, the Cabinet Secretariat shall have the following powers and functions: assist in providing timely and organized information to the Cabinet on issues and problems submitted for decision and action; provide conference and administrative support services to the Cabinet, the Cabinet Clusters, the Cabinet Assistance System and other committees created by the Cabinet; at the instance of the Cabinet, conduct technical research and special studies on specific policy issues; maintain an efficient records management system including a Cabinet Archives and a library; certify Cabinet resolutions reached during Cabinet meetings; and exercise such other functions and powers as may be provided by law or as directed by the President.
SEC. 5. Structural Organization. - The Cabinet Secretariat shall be headed by a Cabinet Secretariat, assisted by one Cabinet Undersecretary. The Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Undersecretary, who shall have the rank of a Secretary and Undersecretary, respectively, shall be appointed by the President. There shall be two (2) Staffs namely, the Technical Affairs Staff and the Conference Affairs Staff, each to be headed by a Presidential Staff Director appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Cabinet Secretary.
The Cabinet Secretary is hereby authorized to delineate and assign the respective functional areas of responsibilities of the two Staffs.
SEC. 6. Personnel. - The Cabinet Secretary shall ensure that only highly-qualified technical and professional people will be appointed. To the extent possible, subject to qualification standards to be prescribed by the Cabinet Secretary, the Cabinet Secretariat shall draw its personnel from the existing Cabinet Secretariat in the Office of the President.
SEC. 7. New Structure and Pattern. - Upon approval of this Executive Order, the officers and employees of the Cabinet Secretariat shall, in a hold-over capacity, continue to perform their respective duties and responsibilities and receive the corresponding salaries and benefits.
The new position structure and staffing pattern of the Cabinet Secretariat shall be approved and prescribed by the Cabinet Secretary within one hundred and twenty (120) days from the approval of this Executive Order and the authorized positions created thereunder shall be filled with regular appointments by him or by the President as the case maybe. Those incumbents whose positions are not included therein or who are not reappointed shall be deemed separated from the service. Those separated from the service shall receive the retirement benefits to which they may be entitled under existing laws, rules and regulations. Otherwise, they shall be paid the equivalent of one (1) month basic salary for every year of service in the government, or the equivalent nearest fraction thereof favorable to them on the basis of the highest salary received but in no case shall such payment exceed the equivalent of twelve (12) months of salary.
SEC. 8. Funding. - All applicable appropriations and plantilla items of the Cabinet Secretariat in the defunct Office of the Prime Minister and of the then Cabinet Standing Committee are hereby transferred to the Cabinet Secretariat.
SEC. 9. Transfer of Records, Assets and Equipment. - All applicable records, assets and equipment of the Cabinet Secretariat in the defunct Office of the Prime Minister and of the then Cabinet Standing Committee are hereby transferred to the Cabinet Secretariat.
SEC. 10. Assistance to the Cabinet Secretary. - The Cabinet Secretary may call upon the assistance of any department bureau, office, agency, committee, council or any instrumentality of the government as may be needed.
SEC. 11. Separability. - Any portion or provision of this Executive Order that may be declared unconstitutional shall not have the effect of nullifying other portions or provisions hereof as long as such remaining portions or provisions can still subsist and be given in their entirety.
SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, ordinances, rules, regulations and other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Executive Order, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 13. Effectivity. - This Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon its approval.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 22nd day of July in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven.
By the President:
JOKER P. ARROYO
Executive Secretary
WHEREAS, the Cabinet, in support of the Presidency, serves as a forum for information exchange and feedback, issue discussion and resolution, as well as a coordination and integration mechanism;
WHEREAS, the post of Cabinet Secretary with rank and emolument of a Member of the Cabinet, was created last December 22, 1986, to assist in maximizing the services of the Cabinet to the President;
WHEREAS, the Cabinet Secretariat was authorized to provide the technical and administrative support to the Presidential Committee on Public Ethics and Accountability, created under Administrative Order No. 25, dated May 15, 1987;
WHEREAS, the Cabinet Secretary was mandated to preside over the meetings of the Cabinet Assistance System, as reconstituted, under Memorandum Order No. 96, dated June 2, 1987;
WHEREAS, there is a need to define the powers, functions and structure of and to provide for the reorganization of the existing Cabinet Secretariat;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the sovereign will of the Filipino people and the Constitution, do hereby order:
SECTION 1. Title. - This Executive Order shall otherwise be known as the Act Reorganizing the Cabinet Secretariat.
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the government to strengthen the Office of the President structurally and functionally in the provision of technical support to the Cabinet, the primary advisory council to the President.
SEC. 3. The Cabinet Secretariat. - There is hereby created a Cabinet Secretariat as an integral part of the Office of the President. The Cabinet Secretariat, through a high level support staff, shall assist the President in the establishment of agenda topics for the Cabinet deliberations, or facilitate the discussion of Cabinet meetings.
SEC. 4. Powers and Functions. - To carry out its mandate, the Cabinet Secretariat shall have the following powers and functions: assist in providing timely and organized information to the Cabinet on issues and problems submitted for decision and action; provide conference and administrative support services to the Cabinet, the Cabinet Clusters, the Cabinet Assistance System and other committees created by the Cabinet; at the instance of the Cabinet, conduct technical research and special studies on specific policy issues; maintain an efficient records management system including a Cabinet Archives and a library; certify Cabinet resolutions reached during Cabinet meetings; and exercise such other functions and powers as may be provided by law or as directed by the President.
SEC. 5. Structural Organization. - The Cabinet Secretariat shall be headed by a Cabinet Secretariat, assisted by one Cabinet Undersecretary. The Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Undersecretary, who shall have the rank of a Secretary and Undersecretary, respectively, shall be appointed by the President. There shall be two (2) Staffs namely, the Technical Affairs Staff and the Conference Affairs Staff, each to be headed by a Presidential Staff Director appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Cabinet Secretary.
The Cabinet Secretary is hereby authorized to delineate and assign the respective functional areas of responsibilities of the two Staffs.
SEC. 6. Personnel. - The Cabinet Secretary shall ensure that only highly-qualified technical and professional people will be appointed. To the extent possible, subject to qualification standards to be prescribed by the Cabinet Secretary, the Cabinet Secretariat shall draw its personnel from the existing Cabinet Secretariat in the Office of the President.
SEC. 7. New Structure and Pattern. - Upon approval of this Executive Order, the officers and employees of the Cabinet Secretariat shall, in a hold-over capacity, continue to perform their respective duties and responsibilities and receive the corresponding salaries and benefits.
The new position structure and staffing pattern of the Cabinet Secretariat shall be approved and prescribed by the Cabinet Secretary within one hundred and twenty (120) days from the approval of this Executive Order and the authorized positions created thereunder shall be filled with regular appointments by him or by the President as the case maybe. Those incumbents whose positions are not included therein or who are not reappointed shall be deemed separated from the service. Those separated from the service shall receive the retirement benefits to which they may be entitled under existing laws, rules and regulations. Otherwise, they shall be paid the equivalent of one (1) month basic salary for every year of service in the government, or the equivalent nearest fraction thereof favorable to them on the basis of the highest salary received but in no case shall such payment exceed the equivalent of twelve (12) months of salary.
SEC. 8. Funding. - All applicable appropriations and plantilla items of the Cabinet Secretariat in the defunct Office of the Prime Minister and of the then Cabinet Standing Committee are hereby transferred to the Cabinet Secretariat.
SEC. 9. Transfer of Records, Assets and Equipment. - All applicable records, assets and equipment of the Cabinet Secretariat in the defunct Office of the Prime Minister and of the then Cabinet Standing Committee are hereby transferred to the Cabinet Secretariat.
SEC. 10. Assistance to the Cabinet Secretary. - The Cabinet Secretary may call upon the assistance of any department bureau, office, agency, committee, council or any instrumentality of the government as may be needed.
SEC. 11. Separability. - Any portion or provision of this Executive Order that may be declared unconstitutional shall not have the effect of nullifying other portions or provisions hereof as long as such remaining portions or provisions can still subsist and be given in their entirety.
SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, ordinances, rules, regulations and other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Executive Order, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 13. Effectivity. - This Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon its approval.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 22nd day of July in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven.
CORAZON C. AQUINO
President of the Philippines
President of the Philippines
By the President:
JOKER P. ARROYO
Executive Secretary