WHEREAS, it has been a declared policy of the State to declare an all-out war against poverty as a major component of the Philippines 2000 and as embodied in the Philippine Medium Term Development Plan towards a common vision of an improved quality of life for every Filipino;

WHEREAS, the Social Reform Agenda is the operationalization of the people empowerment track of Philippines 2000 and has been expanded to become the Integrated National Action Agenda on Anti-Poverty as adopted during the National Anti-Poverty Summit held last 19-20 March 1996;

WHEREAS, the attainment of the common vision of winning the war against poverty entails an energized bureaucracy and a participative civil society that adhere to continuous consensus-building processes to effectively fast-track the localization of the SRA in order to achieve the two-pronged objectives of reaching the national target of reducing poverty incidence by 30% in 1998 and ensuring that all relevant policies, programs, projects and resources reach the targeted sectors and communities at the grassroots level;

WHEREAS, the geographic target of the SRA implementation has been expanded from the 20 priority provinces to all regions, provinces, cities and municipalities nationwide which requires a strengthening of existing networks and organizations and broader participation from all stakeholders particularly the local government units and the basic sectors;

WHEREAS, the war against poverty should be broken down into manageable battles that define the areas of engagement and specific roles and accountabilities of major stakeholders at the national and sub-national levels;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of powers vested upon me by law, do hereby order the adoption of the guidelines on the institutional arrangements to fast-track the localization of the SRA as the Integrated National Action Agenda on Anti-Poverty;

SECTION 1. All National Government Agencies and Local Government Units are hereby directed to adopt the guidelines on the SRA Institutional Arrangements issued by the Social Reform Council (SRC).  They are also directed to conduct in-house orientation and disseminate this guidelines to all their officials and personnel.

SEC. 2. The outcomes of effective localization of the SRA entails the following stakeholders to undertake these immediate tasks:

a. Flagship agencies are directed to implement and monitor the progress of their SRA program and resource commitments to the targeted sectors and communities, and to make these information available to all concerned basic sectors organizations and local government units;

b. Convergence lead agencies, together with the local government units and basic sectors, are directed to orchestrate the convergence of programs, projects and resources to their respective convergence areas. They are also directed to spearhead the installation and monitoring of the Minimum Basic Needs Approach in their respective areas;

c. Cabinet Officers for Regional Development are directed to orchestrate the implementation and monitoring of the progress of their respective Regional Social Reform Agenda together with all regional line agencies, local government units and basic sectors organizations; and

d. Local Government Units are directed to lead the implementation and monitoring of their Local Social Reform Agenda in coordination with the basic sectors organizations at their respective levels.

SEC. 3. All National Government Agencies are directed to constantly interface with and provide support and complementary interventions to their sectoral and local counterparts in the implementation of anti-poverty plans and programs.

SEC. 4. National Government Agencies and Local Government Agencies are hereby directed to issue necessary operational directives or issuances supportive of the provisions of this Order, in close coordination with the SRC Secretariat to ensure consistency.

SEC. 5. Flagship Agencies, Convergence Lead Agencies, Cabinet Officers for Regional Developments and Local Government Units shall conduct periodic monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the guidelines on the Institutional Arrangements. The SRC Secretariat shall convene a sub-committee to undertake periodic assessment every six (6) months, and provisions of the guidelines may be refined as the need arises.

SEC. 6. The SRC shall adopt a Monitoring and Evaluation System (MES) to effectively track the progress of SRA implementation as endorsed by the SRC Technical Working Group. The MES shall focus on the Minimum Basic Needs and Basic Reform Commitments and the effective allocation and utilization of resources for anti-poverty programs, among others.

SEC. 7. To effectively localize the SRA to all targeted areas, funding shall come from: a) the Flagship Agencies and Convergence Lead Agencies and b) Office of the Cabinet Officers for Regional Development. Augmentation fund shall come from the President ™s Contingent Fund and any other fund that the President may authorize to be released to the CORDs, through the Social Reform Council. This shall be done in close coordination with the Department of Budget and Management and the SRC Secretariat, subject to availability of funds and the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations. The SRC shall prepare appropriate guidelines for this purpose.

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

DONE in the City of Manila, this 12th day of July 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