WHEREAS, Article X Section 14, of the 1987 Constitution states that: "The President shall provide for regional development councils or 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 for purposes of administrative decentralization to strengthen the autonomy of the units therein and to accelerate the economic and social growth and development of the units in the region";

WHEREAS, there is a need to reorganize and strengthen further the Regional Development Councils now existing in all the administrative regions of the country in order to make them more effective instruments for regional development, consistent with the aforesaid constitutional mandate;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State that socio-economic development programs and activities of government be undertaken with the extensive and active participation and support from, and coordination of, various government agencies, as well as private sector institutions, at the national, regional and local levels.

SEC. 2. Reorganization of the Regional Development Council. - To carry out the aforesaid policy, the Regional Development Council, hereafter referred to as the Council, is hereby reorganized and strengthened. The Council shall be the primary institution in the region which shall set the direction of economic and social development of the region and through which regional development efforts shall be coordinated.

a. Composition of the Council. - The Council shall be composed of the following members:

(i)	All provincial Governors, and Mayors of chartered cities and of the regional center in each region;
(ii)	The Regional Directors of agencies represented in the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board; Provided, That each Department or Agency shall be represented by only one Regional Director thereof; and
(iii)	Representatives of the private sector and non-governmental organizations who shall not be more than one-fourth of the members of the fully constituted Council and who shall be selected by the ex-officio members of the Council in accordance with the Rules and Regulations to be prescribed under Section 9 of this Executive Order.

b. Functions of the Council. - The Council shall have the following functions:

(i)	Coordinate the formulation of long-term, medium-term and annual socio-economic development plans and policies at the regional and subregional levels;
(ii)	Coordinate the formulation of the medium-term and annual public investment programs at the regional and subregional levels;
(iii)	Undertake the appraisal and prioritization of the region's socio-economic development programs and projects, consistent with the standards and policies developed by the NEDA;
(iv)	Promote and monitor the inflow and allocation of private investment capital in the regions, consistent with development objectives, strategies and policies adopted;
(v)	Coordinate the implementation of programs and projects in the region which involve several agencies in their implementation; and
(vi)	Monitor, evaluate and formulate recommendations on the implementation of development plans and programs in the region.

To carry out its functions, the Council shall be responsible for (1) approving the Regional Development plan, the Multi-year Regional Development Investment Program and the Regional annual Investment Program; (2) reviewing and endorsing to the national government the regional budget proposals of government agencies; and (3) ensuring the consistency of local development plans with the regional plan priorities, through coordination with the Provincial Development Councils and the Municipal Development Councils.

The Council shall meet as often as may be necessary but not less than once every quarter. It may, by resolution, create an Executive Committee to look after the day-to-day activities of the Council.

The Council shall report to the President through the NEDA Board.

c. Sectoral Committee. - To assist the Council in the performance of its functions, it shall create various Sectoral Committees with private sector and government membership whose functions shall include the following: (i) collating and analyzing sectoral information and statistics in the preparation of the annual regional development report; (ii) assisting the Council in the translation of national development goals and policies into specific sectoral objectives; and (iii) coordinating all sectoral planning and programming activities of local governments and sectoral line agencies in the region.

SEC. 3. Regional Consultative Assembly. - To strengthen further coordinative and consultative efforts in the region, there is hereby created in every region a Regional Consultative Assembly to serve as a deliberated and consultative body to advise, assist, support and cooperate with the Council in discharging its functions.

a. Membership in the Assembly. - The Assembly shall be composed of the members of the Regional Development Council and its sectoral committees; heads of other national government agencies in the region; and upon invitation of the Council, representatives of non-government organizations, sectarian organizations and the academe in the region nominated by the said entities.

The Assembly may meet as often as necessary but not less than once a semester.

b. Functions of the Assembly. - The Assembly shall have the following functions:

(i)	Serve as a forum for crystallizing ideas, suggestions and recommendations for regional development including priorities for development plans, programs and activities;
(ii)	Provide indicators of various sectoral requirements for development within the region for purposes of guiding the Council in coming out with draft development plans, programs and projects;
(iii)	Give advice on proposed regional development plans, investment programs and regional budget proposals; and
(iv)	Provide assistance and support approved regional development plans, programs and projects, and in generating congressional support for proposed annual budgets to carry out approved programs and projects.

SEC. 4. Chairmanship of the Council. - The Council shall nominate three members, at least one each from the Chairmanship of the Council to the President who shall appoint the Chairman of the Council. The Regional Director of the NEDA Secretariat shall be Vice-Chairman of the Council.

The Chairman and the Vice-Chairman of the Council shall be the ex-officio Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively, of the Assembly.

SEC. 5. Non-applicability to the Autonomous Regions. - This Executive Order shall not apply to the autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and in the Cordilleras.

SEC. 6. Non-applicability to the Autonobilities of the Council Chairman. The Chairman shall have the following functions powers, and responsibilities:

(a)	Preside over the meetings of the Council and the Assembly; request any agency, individual member of the Council, sectoral committee or any instrumentality attached to the Council to perform other functions as the Chairman may deem necessary;
(b)	Accept, in behalf of the Council, donations, contributions, grants, bequests or gifts in cash or in kind from foreign governments, international offices, private entities, or any individual for purposes relevant to coordinating and planning function in regional development;
(c)	Call the attention of implementing agencies to implementation problems with the end in view of instituting corrective measures;
(d)	Supervise the monitoring of the implementation of major development programs, projects and activities;
(e)	When called upon, represent the region in Cabinet meeting and budget review activities at the national level;
(f)	Direct the formulation of a comprehensive regional development plan and preparation of a system of investment programming priorities for the region;
(g)	Submit to the President through the NEDA Board regional plans, regional investment programs, annual development reports and other documents on the region as approved by the Council;
(h)	Create ad hoc committees as may be required;
(i)	Direct and supervise all activities of the Council; and
(j)	Perform other functions and duties as may be directed by the President.

SEC. 7. Planning and Budgeting Measures. - To strengthen the role of the Council in regional planning and budgeting, the Development Budget Coordination Committee of the NEDA Board shall modify the process of budget preparation and issue guidelines that would provide greater autonomy to the Council in its programs and projects consistent with regional, provincial and municipal development plans and with national priorities.

SEC. 8. Technical Staff of the Council. - The Regional Office of the NEDA Secretariat shall serve as the principal technical staff of the Council and the assembly in the respective regions. In addition, the Council and the Assembly may request the regional offices of the various agencies of the national government to provide such technical support as may be required for effective discharge of the duties of the Council and the Assembly.

SEC. 9. Implementing Authority. - The NEDA Board is hereby authorized to promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement this Executive Order.

SEC. 10. Effectivity. - This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 5th day of November, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven.


By the President:

CATALINO MACARAIG, JR.
Acting Executive Secretary