WHEREAS, under the New Republic, national development shall be pursued with renewed dedication and greater determination;

WHEREAS, the maintenance of peaceful and orderly condition, especially in the countryside, is an essential requisite for the effective execution of development programs;

WHEREAS, the vigorous implementation of area development programs and projects, particularly those directed towards the delivery of basic services, the administration of justice, and the provision of gainful livelihood opportunities leading to greater economic benefits, will help bring about more stable security conditions in such areas;

WHEREAS, security operations in any area are invariably more effective when they are provided full, timely, and coordinated support by the various agencies of the civil government through appropriate developmental activities;

WHEREAS, it is therefore necessary to effect greater coordination in the activities of the various agencies of the government, particularly with respect to geographical and functional harmonization of development and security operations; 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. Coordination at the National Level. The National Security Council, hereinafter referred to as the Council, shall, in addition to its present powers and functions, be responsible for effecting greater coordination of development and security efforts at all levels of government, especially at the national, regional, and provincial levels, to achieve a more meaningful interaction between the civil and the military services in both the planning and implementation aspects of development for specific areas, particularly those of higher security priority.

The term œdevelopment and security  when used in this Executive Order shall refer to the peace and order aspects of the formulation and implementation of development programs and projects, especially those of an area-specific nature. It should not be construed to extend to purely development matters without security implications, or vice versa.

Towards these ends, the Council shall exercise the following additional specific powers and functions:

(a) Monitor development plans, programs, and projects, particularly those of an area-specific nature, with respect to their security implications;

(b) Identify and indicate to the appropriate agencies the types of programs and projects and the specific areas that are higher security priority, for consideration both in the planning process and in implementation process;

(c) Provide guidelines to the various Regional Development Councils with respect to the security implications of their development programs and projects; and

(d) Perform such other related functions or activities as may be necessary to accomplish its purposes and objectives.

In exercising its functions of coordinating development and security programs, the Council shall be convened by the President or in his absence and through delegated authority by the Prime Minister, who is hereby designated as Vice Chairman of the Council, as often as may be necessary. Other officials who are not members of the Council may participate, as deemed desirable by the President. The Council may also hold joint meetings with other entities and aggrupations, at the discretion of the President.

SECTION 2. Coordination at the Regional Level. In addition to its other functions and responsibilities, the Regional Development Council shall (a) coordinate the implementation of those area-specific programs and projects with development and security implications at the individual regional level, (b) consider security conditions in the regional planning process, particularly in the identification of programs and projects in areas requiring preferential attention from the security standpoint, (c) consult and interact on a continuing basis with other regional bodies such as the Regional Peace and Order Council and other appropriate organizations, in furtherance of their objectives, and (d) assist in coordinating the roles, functions, responsibilities and assignments of involved civil government entities in larger-scale military operations in the region as necessary.

The Regional Development Council may hold separate special meetings on development and security matters, or may at its discretion from a subcommittee for the purpose.

The membership of the Regional Development Council is hereby modified to include (a) the Regional Commander of the Philippine Constabulary, and (b) the Regional Director of the Ministry of Human Settlements.

The primary functions of the representatives of the military in the Regional Development Council shall be (a) to appraise the Council of security conditions in the various areas affected by the various programs and projects, (b) to suggest, in the light of their perceptions of security conditions, priorities in attention in the formulation and implementation of area-specific programs and projects, both existing and prospective, and (c) to interface with other Council member on such security problems as may hamper the execution of development programs and projects.

The above-mentioned role of the military representatives in the various councils shall not in any way be construed to mean that the attainment of security is the exclusive responsibility of the armed forces, nor that development is the exclusive concern of the civilian government; rather, it shall be viewed within the context that the attainment of security, like the attainment of development, is the collective responsibility of the government as a whole.

SECTION 3. Priority Areas. While the envisioned concerted development and security effort shall be on a nationwide basis, the initial focus shall be directed to such priority areas as may be identified by the Council.

SECTION 4. Funding Requirements. The agencies involved in the projected cooperative endeavor shall operate within their approved appropriations, without prejudice to such additional funding as may be needed for added operational requirements. Whenever or wherever practicable, however, the implementing ministries and other agencies shall redirect their program thrusts to indicated priority areas in order to provide the desired support to the total effort.

SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, administrative orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with any provision of this Executive Order are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 6. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 3rd day of December, in the Year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Two.


By the President:

(SGD.) JUAN C. TUVERA
Presidential Executive Assistant