MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
[ EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 208, February 09, 1970 ]
STRENGTHENING THE CABINET TO MAKE IT A MORE EFFECTIVE VEHICLE FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL GOALS
WHEREAS, the Cabinet, as the top advisory body to the President in policy formulation and executive decision-making, needs to be strengthened in order that it may become an effective arm for achieving developmental goals and objectives;
WHEREAS, the cabinet members should always be available to help the President deliberate on issues and problems, crystalize ideas and courses of action relative to pressing national problems, and help provide guidelines for attaining simplified, effective, efficient and economical governmental operations;
WHEREAS, there is need to minimize duplication and overlapping of functions among governmental entities and to eliminate friction and petty jealousies among agencies the heads of which have been conferred cabinet status and those agencies of the same level the heads of which have not been vested such rank;
WHEREAS, to be more effective as such an advisory body, the cabinet should be manageable in the size of its membership in order that its deliberations may not become exceedingly unwieldy, protracted, long-drawn and rendering decision-making a tedious and time-consuming process;
WHEREAS, membership in the Cabinet should as much as possible be confined to executive offices with supervision and control over broad substantive functions and operations directly related to and deeply involved with socio-economic development, and the inclusion in the Cabinet of the executive officers exercising supervision over governmental functions and operations that are limited in scope and perspective would not be desirable; and
WHEREAS, there is need for adopting measures to make cabinet meetings more simplified, wieldy and effective.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby ordain –
Section 1. Regular membership in the Cabinet, enjoyment of the powers and privileges as well as the discharge of the duties and responsibilities appurtenant thereto, shall be limited to the following heads of the Executive Departments and/or Offices as enumerated hereunder in the following order:
1. Department of Foreign Affairs
2. Executive Office
3. Department of Finance
4. Department of Justice
5. Department of Education
6. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
7. Department of Labor
8. Department of National Defense
9. Department of Health 10. Department of Commerce and Industry
10. Department of Public Works and Communications
11. Department of Social Welfare
12. Department of General Services
13. National Economic Council
Section 2. The Heads of the National Science Development Board, Civil Service Commission, Office of Economic Coordination and the Commission on National Integration, who have heretofore been conferred Cabinet rank by law, and the Budget Commission, shall maintain their Cabinet rank provided that they may attend meetings of the Cabinet only upon invitation or call by the President.
Section 3. The Heads of the following Offices and/or Agencies shall cease to have the rank of Member of the Cabinet:
1. Board of Investments
2. Press Office
3. Presidential Arm on Community Development
4. Land Authority
5. Presidential Economic Staff
6. Presidential Agency on Reforms and Government Operations
7. Presidential Assistant on Housing and Resettlement Agency
8. Presidential Anti-Crime Coordinator
9. Presidential Assistant on National Minorities
10. National Cottage Industries Development Authority
11. Presidential Executive Assistant
The office of the Presidential Assistant on Housing and Resettlement Agency shall be transferred as an office under the Land Authority, together with its corresponding appropriations, equipment, property, records and personnel.
The Presidential Agency on Reforms and Government Operations is hereby made a division under the Executive Office to be known as Complaints and Investigating Office.
Section 4. In attending Cabinet meetings, department secretaries should be ready with summary reports of the accomplishments of their respective departments and offices, with particular emphasis on how they are contributing to the achievement of developmental goals and how they are promoting effectiveness, efficiency and economy in their operations; the problems of their respective departments related thereto; and their proposals for enhancing development.
Section 5. The Cabinet members should, by themselves, individually or collectively, initiate meetings and/or consultations with each other on common problems and matters requiring cooperation among them, which activities should be reported during cabinet meetings.
Section 6. All executive orders, administrative orders, rules and regulations, as well as designations inconsistent with this Order are hereby revoked.
Done in the City of Manila, this 9th day of February in the year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy.1âшphi1
(SGD.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President of the Philippines
By the President:
(SGD.) ALEJANDRO MELCHOR
Executive Secretary
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