WHEREAS, Art. II, Sec. 9 of the 1987 Constitution provides, that œThe State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living and an improved quality of life for all ;

WHEREAS, the 1988 Family Income and Expenditures Survey (FIES) shows that there has not been any significant improvement in the income share of the bottom 30% of the population;

WHEREAS, the government has identified poverty alleviation as a major thrust;

WHEREAS, in view of the foregoing, there is need to, among others, focus government action to respond immediately to the needs of the depressed communities, initially in the rural areas;

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. Program to Refocus Orientation for the Poor (PRO-POOR). - There is hereby established the Program to Refocus Orientation for the Poor (PRO-POOR), hereinafter referred to as the Program.

SEC. 2. Program Objective. - The Program shall foster and accelerate the socio-economic growth and development in Low Income Municipalities (LIMs) and improve the quality of life therein.

SEC. 3. Program Coverage. - (a) The Program shall target approximately four hundred fifty (450) LIMs following a phased approach covering a period of three (3) years.  An initial list of municipalities shall be selected and identified on the bases of poverty-related criteria.  The drawing up of the list shall be undertaken in consultation with the Local Government Executives (LGEs) and the Regional Development Council (RDC) Chairmen.  New municipalities shall be added to the target LIMs in subsequent targeting activities from 1990 to 1992.

(b) The activities shall target the achievement of coordinated improvement in the delivery of public services to the LIMs.  Specially, the Program calls for national and local agencies to focus on expanding coverage, raising quality, or increasing the effectiveness of these services with both large and important short-term and long-term impact on community development.  It shall likewise adopt structures and procedures which are consistent with the stated national policies of decentralization and local autonomy.

(c) The Program shall be municipal-based in terms of planning, consultation, prioritization, and implementation.  Emphasis shall be on managing local resources including resources made available to localities, ensuring that the projects are consistent with the development goals of the municipality, and widening community participation to provide impetus and direction for future action.

SEC. 4. Program Implementation. - (a) The Program implementation shall involve agencies with municipal-based units, namely: Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Local Government (DLG), Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police (PC-INP); as well as those agencies with capabilities for responding to municipal needs but have units based at the regions, provinces, or cluster of municipalities, namely:  Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), National Electrification Administration (NEA), and Philippine Information Agency (PIA).  These agencies shall form a core team to assist the mayor who shall assume a lead role in the implementation of the Program.

(b) The heads of the aforecited agencies shall issue the necessary orders to ensure the full implementation by their agencies of the Program in the targeted municipalities.  They are hereby directed to undertake the necessary preparations, training and orientation of their respective staff for the implementation of the Program.

(c) The agencies concerned shall recommend the necessary realignment/reallocation of their respective resources to pursue the priorities of the Program.

(d) The Department of Local Government shall undertake an assessment of the mayors of LIMs included in the initial list of targeted municipalities in terms of their willingness and readiness to implement the Program.

(e) Concerned Local Government Executives (LGEs) are enjoined to extent full cooperation to and support for the Program.

SEC. 5. Creation of a Standing Committee. - There is hereby created a Standing Committee for the Program to be headed by the Presidential Adviser on Rural Development as Chairman with a senior representative each of the seventeen (17) implementing agencies as members.  The Standing Committee shall monitor and report to the Office of the President the status of implementation of the Program.

SEC. 6. Functions of the Standing Committee. - The Standing Committee shall have the following functions:

1. Identify the LIMs which shall be included in the first phase of the Program;
   
   
2. Formulate the detailed overall guidelines and time-table for program mobilization and implementation;
   
   
3. Prepare and submit to the President and the Cabinet, after 6 months, a report on the status of program implementation and submit regular quarterly reports thereafter;
   
   
4. Provide the forum for the resolution of operational issues and problems on a continuing basis;
   
   
5. Provide technical advice and support to the agencies implementing the Program;
   
   
6. Perform such other functions as may be assigned by the President.
   

SEC. 7. Staff Support. - Technical and Secretariat services to the Standing Committee shall be provided by the Office of the President which shall be the central monitoring arm of the Program.  Staff activities shall include coordination with the implementing agencies, evaluation, review and consolidation or reports submitted by the agencies, and regular visits to municipalities covered by the Program.

SEC. 8. Effectivity. - This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 25th day of September, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-nine.


By the President:

(Sgd.) CATALINO MACARAIG, JR.
Executive Secretary