WHEREAS, under the New Republic, national development shall be pursued with renewed dedication and greater determination through a more efficient, effective, and economical government;

WHEREAS, it is desirable to strengthen the administrative capability of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enable it to be a more effective instrumentality of the Government in the promotion of the foreign relations of the Philippines;

WHEREAS, to attain this objective, it would be desirable to restructure the Ministry by providing for the realignment of its primary responsibilities basically along geographical coverage rather than along functional areas;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 523 mandated the restructuring of the Ministry and the Foreign Service to enable it to pursue goals in keeping with the realities of world diplomacy as characterized by regional and bilateral relations; and

WHEREAS, under Presidential Decree No. 1416 as amended, the President is empowered to undertake such organizational and related improvements as may be appropriate in the light of changing circumstances and new developments;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and the authority vested in me by Presidential Decree No. 1416 as amended, do hereby order and ordain:

SECTION 1. Pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution, the President shall formulate the national guidelines and overall policies on foreign affairs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry, shall be the ministry primarily responsible for the planning, implementation and coordination of the appropriate supportive policies and programs in the field of foreign affairs, in accordance with the general policies formulated by the President. The primary function of the Ministry shall be the promotion and conduct of the country ™s foreign relations, and the provision of such services to Filipino nationals abroad as may be necessary.

The President shall exercise control over the Ministry and the Prime Minister shall supervise the Ministry. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet shall be responsible to the Batasang Pambansa for the general program of government.

SECTION 2. The authority and responsibility for the exercise of the powers and the discharge of the functions of the Ministry shall be vested in the Minister of Foreign Affairs, hereinafter referred to as the Minister, who shall be appointed by the President. He shall be assisted by such Deputy Ministers as may be appointed by the President. The Minister is authorized to determined and assign the respective functional areas of responsibility of the Deputy Ministers, should there be more than one; provided, that such delineation of responsibilities shall cover the substantive functions and operations of the Ministry; and provided, further, that there shall be no Deputy Minister for Administration, and that the assignment of administrative responsibilities to any Deputy Minister shall be in addition to his substantive responsibilities.

SECTION 3. There is hereby created an Office of Inspection, Intelligence and Legal Services which shall absorb the applicable functions, appropriations, records, equipment, property, and personnel of the Office of Legal Affairs, the Inspection Division and the Intelligence and Research Division, which are hereinafter abolished. The Office shall be responsible for enforcing high standards of performance in all foreign service posts through a system of periodic inspection. It shall also be responsible for the strict enforcement of security measures in the Ministry and the Foreign Service. It shall likewise be responsible for providing legal services in the negotiation of treaties as well as in their interpretations.

The Head of the Office of Inspection, Intelligence and Legal Services shall serve as Inspector General.

SECTION 4. There is hereby created an Office of Personnel and Management Services which shall be responsible for the efficient management of services for the personnel of the Ministry and the Foreign Service.

SECTION 5. The Office of Press and Public Affairs is hereby renamed the Office of Public Affairs. It shall be responsible for the handling of Ministry relations with the local and foreign media and educational institutions as well as in the regular dissemination of relevant information to all Foreign Services posts.

SECTION 6. The Office of Fiscal Affairs is hereby renamed the Office of Fiscal Services. It shall be responsible for all budget, financial and accounting services of the Ministry and the Foreign Service.

SECTION 7. The Office of Consular Affairs is hereby renamed the Office of Consular Services which shall be responsible for the effective and efficient discharge of passport, visa and notarization services as well as the provision of requisite assistance to Filipino citizens abroad.

SECTION 8. The Office of Protocol is retained. It shall be responsible for the handling of all activities of the Ministry concerning protocol, ceremonials and socials. It shall also be responsible for the proper observance and enforcement of all formalities, courtesies and facilities required by the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic Relations and Consular Relations as well as other related conventions and agreements.

SECTION 9. There are hereby created the following Offices:

(1) Office of American Affairs (2) Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs (3) Office of European Affairs (4) Office of Middle East and African Affairs (5) Office of ASEAN Affairs

Each of the Offices shall be responsible for providing staff support and policy guidance to the Office of the Minister in the supervision of, as well as for monitoring and reporting of, the activities and operations of Philippine diplomatic missions and posts within its geographical coverage. Such responsibility shall be in the context, among others, of providing a more aggregative perspective of policy issues, including its economic, political and cultural aspects, involving each particular geographic group or region. It shall also monitor the activities of, and provide the necessary staff support in handling relationships with, foreign diplomatic missions accredited to the Philippine government from the region concerned. The Minister shall determine the specific diplomatic missions under each of the Offices.

The Office of ASEAN affairs shall be responsible for providing staff support and policy guidance to the Office of the Minister in the supervision of, as well as for monitoring and reporting of, the activities and operations of the Philippine Government in ASEAN. It shall also serve as the secretariat of, and the coordinating agency for, Philippine participation in ASEAN meetings and conferences.

The provision of staff support and policy guidance, as well as the monitoring and reporting responsibilities defined above, of a sub-regional nature may be undertaken through such sub-regional desks within each Office as may be created from time to time by the Minister.

SECTION 10. The Office of United Nations and International Organizations is retained. It shall be responsible for providing staff support and policy guidance to the Office of the Minister in the supervision of, as well as for monitoring and reporting of, the activities and operations of the Philippine Government in the United Nations, its specialized agencies and other inter-governmental organizations except ASEAN, as well as for Philippine participations in conferences therein. It shall also serve as the secretariat of all Philippine National Commissions and Councils created pursuant to commitments in the United Nations and its specialized agencies.

SECTION 11. There is hereby created a Board of Foreign Service Administration to be composed of the Minister as chairman, and the Deputy Minister or Ministers, the heads of Offices, and a senior official of the Civil Service Commission as designated by the Chairman of the Commission as members. The Minister, at his discretion, may assign the chairmanship of the Board to the Deputy Minister, or where there is more than one Deputy Minister, to any of the Deputy Ministers. The Board shall be responsible for considering and recommending policies for the efficient and economical discharge of the administrative operations of the Ministry and the Foreign Service. It shall also consider and submit recommendations on policy and other important matters concerning personnel including the appointment, assignment, and promotion of all Foreign Service Staff Employees, Foreign Service Staff Officers as well as to recommend, through the Minister, to the President the appointment and promotion of Foreign Service Officers, Counselors and Chiefs of Missions. It shall likewise act and submit recommendations on administrative cases involving personnel of the Ministry and the Foreign Service.

SECTION 12. The Board of Foreign Service Examiners is retained. It shall be responsible for planning and administering the Career Foreign Service Examinations. It shall have the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission or a Commissioner thereof designated by the Chairman of the Commission as chairman, and the Deputy Minister, or where there is more than one Deputy Minister a Deputy Minister designated by the Minister, the Head of the Office of Personnel and Management Services, and a senior official of the Ministry of Trade and Industry as designated by the Minister of Trade and Industry, as members.

SECTION 13. The Minister may designate as Special Advisers such as Chiefs of Missions on home assignment in specific areas of their expertise as may be required by the exigencies of the service. The Minister may also create such advisory boards and committees as he may deem necessary to assist and provide him with advice in the formulation of substantive policies.

SECTION 14. The Ministry shall exercise supervision and control over the following offices:

(1) Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs (2) Office of Middle East and African Affairs (3) Office of American Affairs (4) Office of European Affairs (5) Office of ASEAN Affairs (6) Office of United Nations and International Organizations (7) Office of Protocol (8) Office of Inspection, Intelligence and Legal Services (9) Office of Personnel and Management Services (10) Office of Public Affairs (11) Office of Fiscal Services (12) Office of Consular Services (13) Board of Foreign Service Administration

SECTION 15. The Ministry shall exercise administrative supervision over the following entities:

(1) Foreign Service Institute (2) UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (3) Committee on State Visits (4) Technical Assistance Council (5) Board of Foreign Service Examiners

SECTION 16. The following entities are hereby abolished, and their functions, together with applicable appropriations, records, equipment, property and personnel are hereby transferred to such appropriate units of the Ministry as may be deemed suitable by the Minister:

(1) Office of Administration (2) Office of Legal Affairs (3) Office of Policy Planning (4) Office of Cultural Affairs (5) Office of Economic Affairs (6) Office of Islamic Affairs (7) Office of Political Affairs (8) ASEAN National Coordinating Agency of the Philippines (9) Board of Foreign Service (10) Promotion Board created under Section 11 of Executive Order No. 523 (11) Inspection Division (12) Intelligence and Research Division

SECTION 17. The Ministry shall have such diplomatic missions and establishments abroad as may be necessary, under the supervision and control of the Office of the Minister.

SECTION 18. The Ministry is hereby authorized to issue such implementing rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this Executive Order, provided that approval of the Office of Budget and Management is obtained relative to the new staffing pattern including appropriate salary rates, the organizational structure at divisional and lower levels, and the realignment of existing appropriations.

SECTION 19. Except as may otherwise be determined by the Minister, all present incumbents of positions in the abolished units shall continue to exercise their usual functions, duties, and responsibilities, pending the issuance of the appropriate implementing orders.

SECTION 20. All laws, decrees, orders, proclamations, rules, regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 21. Any portion or provision of this Executive Order that may be declared unconstitutional shall not have the effect of nullifying the other provisions thereof, provided that such remaining portions can still stand and be given effect in their entirety to accomplish the objectives of this Executive Order.

SECTION 22. This Executive Order shall take effect thirty days from the date of signing hereof.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 1st day of December, in the Year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Two.


By the President:

(SGD.) JUAN C. TUVERA
Presidential Executive Assistant