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MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 71, April 25, 1988 ]

CREATING A JOINT LEGISLATIVE-EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ON DECENTRALIZATION AND LOCAL AUTONOMY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, decentralization and local autonomy are fundamental mandates embodied in the 1987 Constitution;

WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to conduct an inter-sectoral study of existing Philippine laws and issuances that diminish or negate decentralization and local autonomy of local government units;

WHEREAS, there is also the need to create a body to undertake the said inter-sectoral study;

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. There is hereby created a joint Legislative-Executive body to be known as the Decentralization and Local Autonomy Committee, hereinafter referred to as the Committee, to be composed of the following:

1)	Secretary of Local Government	- Chairman
2)	Chairmen of the Local Government Committees of both Houses of the Congress	- Members
3)	Minority representative of the House of Representatives	- Member
4)	Secretary of Finance	- Member
5)	Secretary of Budget and Management	- Member
6)	President of the Leagues of Provinces, Cities and Municipalities	- Member
7)	Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning	- Member
8)	The Chairman of the Technical Review Committee as hereinafter provided	- Member

The Secretariat of the Committee shall be provided for by the Department of Local Government.

Section 2. The Committee shall have the following functions:

a) Review the operational definition of local autonomy in the context of intergovernmental relations;

b) Evolve a decentralization scheme with the aim in view of strengthening regional and local government administration for national development;

c) Improve the anticipatory and responsive policy formulating capabilities of the National Government in general and the Department of Local Government in particular, in promoting the continuing development of local government units;

d) Provide for policy and program direction for the implementation of such sectoral Technical Review Sub-Committees as herein established in the performance of their assigned tasks.

Section 3. To assist the Committee in the exercise of its functions, a Technical Review Committee is hereby created to be composed of technical representatives of the members of the Committee. The Technical Review Committee shall be assisted by the following technical Sub-Committees:

a) Legislative Review

b) Administrative Reforms Review

c) Fiscal Reforms Review

d) Function Allocation Review

e) Human Resource Development Review

Section 4. Funding for the project for Calendar Year 1988 shall be taken from the Foreign-Assisted Projects Support Fund or appropriate lump-sum appropriations authorized under Republic Act No. 6642 as may be determined by the Department of Budget and Management. Thereafter, project requirements shall be provided for under the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 5. This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 25th day of April in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-eight.

(Sgd.) CORAZON C. AQUINO
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) CATALINO MACARAIG, JR.
Executive Secretary

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation

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