Executive Order No. 52

MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 52, January 18, 2024 ]

INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PAG-ABOT PROGRAM, CONSTITUTING AN INTER-AGENCY COMMITTEE THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, Section 9 and 21, Article II of the Constitution declares it the policies of the State to free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all, and promote comprehensive rural development;

WHEREAS, under Executive Order (EO) No. 123 (s. 1987), as amended by EO No. 292 or the "Administrative Code of 1987," the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has the mandate to formulate, develop, and implement plans, programs, and projects on social welfare and development aimed at providing assistance to the most vulnerable members of society;

WHEREAS, in accordance with the AmBisyon Natin 2040 as embodied in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, the Administration endeavors to implement policies and programs that are centered on coherent economic and social transformation and equitable distribution of regional development opportunities;

WHEREAS, one of the pilot programs of the DSWD is the Pag-abot Program which extends to vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals, children, and families in street situations various interventions and opportunities, including provision for a supportive and enabling environment capable of improving their social and economic status and fulfilling their fundamental rights;

WHEREAS, it is imperative to institutionalize the Pag-abot Program to ensure effective delivery of services towards addressing poverty and social and economic inequality in the country;

WHEREAS, the Philippines is fully committed to realizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 1 of eradicating poverty, implementing nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, and granting equal access to economic resources particularly for the poor and vulnerable sector of society; and

WHEREAS, Section 17, Article VII of the Constitution vests in the President the power of control over all Executive departments, bureaus and offices, and the mandate to ensure the faithful execution of laws;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR., President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws, do hereby order:

Section 1. Institutionalizing the Pag-abot Program. The Pag-abot Program is hereby institutionalized as a platform for an enhanced and unified delivery of services to vulnerable and disadvantaged children, individuals, and families in street situations, through provision of social safety nets and protection against risks brought about by poverty, The Pag-abot Program shall consist of the following component assistance packages:

a. Financial Assistance. This includes financial support to cover the basic needs of beneficiaries while they are in transit from their current residence to the identified place where they will be relocated or while they are waiting for their original dispatch schedule or new schedule in case of cancellation or postponement due to cause or causes beyond their control;

b. Transportation/Relocation Assistance. This covers costs necessary to transport beneficiaries and their properties from their current residence to the place where they will be relocated;

c. Transitory Shelter Assistance. This covers temporary shelter for beneficiaries pending the processing of their return from the National Capital Region and other highly urbanized cities to their respective localities where they will be relocated. This also includes providing rental subsidy in favor of beneficiaries;

d. Livelihood Assistance. This assistance implements the Sustainable Livelihood Program of the DSWD, particularly its social preparation and project development aspect, for the benefit of beneficiaries of the Pag-abot Program, in coordination with and complementation of services of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Department of Agriculture (DA).

In addition, a start-up financial assistance shall be provided to each eligible family beneficiary for the establishment or continuity of their livelihood or economic activities in the community where they will be resettled;

e. Employment Assistance. If the individual beneficiary or any adult member of the family beneficiary prefers to be employed instead of setting up a micro-enterprise, he/she shall be provided with skills training leading to employment. The DSWD shall provide the necessary assistance that will cover his/her pre-employment requirements;

f. Psychosocial Support. In preparation for the integration process of beneficiaries in the place where they will be relocated, a series of dialogues and specialized sessions for individuals and families shall be provided. Continued family case management and monitoring must be undertaken, and family development sessions shall be conducted and sustained, until they shall be fully recovered. This intervention shall be in coordination and complementation with local health facilities;

g. Capability Building of Communities. This pertains to various and needs-based capacity-building interventions which shall be conducted to strengthen the capacity and competency of community volunteers in community infrastructure, community procurement, community finance, audit and inventory, environmental and social safeguards and organizational management, among others.

h. Capacity Building of Local Government Units (LGUs). This includes various capacity-building interventions which shall be conducted to strengthen the capacity and competency of LGUs towards attainment of livable communities and strengthened social protection systems; and

i. Community Assistance. Subject to existing laws, rules and regulations, a support mechanism in the form of community grants may be provided to LGUs to assist them with projects needed for the development or rehabilitation of their respective areas, increase their access to basic services towards a more equitable distribution of opportunities for balanced development, and ensure an adequate and suitable resettlement/relocation area for beneficiaries. Community Assistance grants shall be identified using the community-driven development approach of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services.

Other related assistance packages or services which may be deemed necessary to carry out the objectives of the Pag-abot Program may be implemented, provided that these assistance packages or services are consistent with the mandates of concerned government agencies, and relevant laws, rules and regulations.

The Pag-abot Program shall be provided in the form or combination of any of the abovementioned assistance packages, following a uniform standard of operations, assessments, and documentary requirements, consistent with applicable laws, rules and regulations.

Section 2. Creation of an Inter-Agency Committee. To ensure alignment with the objectives and complementation of activities of various govenrment agencies, the Inter-Agency Committee for the Pag-abot Program ("Inter-Agency Committee") is hereby established, which shall be composed of the following:

Chairperson : Secretary, DSWD

Vice Chairperson : Secretary, Department of the Interior and Local Government;

Members : Secretary, DA;

Secretary, DTI;

Secretary, Department of Labor and Employment;

Secretary, Department of Health;

Secretary, Department of Budget and Management;

Secretary, Department of Education;

Director General, TESDA;

Chairperson, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor;

President and Chief Executive Officer, Small Business Corporation; and

Administrator, Cooperative Development Authority.

The Inter-Agency Committee shall have regular quarterly meetings, and such special meetings as may be called upon by the Chairperson when deemed necessary.

The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and members of the Inter-Agency Committee may designate their respective alternates who shall be fully authorized to decide for or on their behalf. The designated alternates of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall have ranks not lower than Assistant Secretary or its equivalent, while the designated alternates of the members shall have ranks not lower than Director or its equivalent.

The DSWD shall serve as the Secretariat of the Inter-Agency Committee, and shall provide technical and administrative support thereto:

Section 3. Mandate. The Inter-Agency Committee shall have the following powers and functions:

a. Determine within thirty (30) days from the issuance of this Order, the complementary services or assistance packages to be provided by relevant national govenrment agencies, which shall be aligned and integrated with the component assistance packages of the Pag-abot Program under Section 1 of this Order;

b. Provide overall direction for the implementation of the Pag-abot Program, including guidance and technical assistance to government agencies and LGUs;

c. Ensure compliance of relevant government agencies involved in the implementation of, and complementation of services to, the Pag-abot Program;

d. Develop a strategic communications plan to educate the people and advocate for supportive policies at the local level, in coordination with the Presidential Communications Office;

e. Engage, consult, and coordinate with LGUs in the formulation of policies, as well as the implementation, of the Pag-abot Program that will allow for resource-sharing arrangements such as co-financing mechanisms with development partners, among others;

f. Enlist the support and assistance of other government agencies, instrumentalities, government-owned or -controlled corporations, and state universities and colleges, as well as consult and provide avenues for the private sector, relevant stakeholders, advocacy groups, and non-government organizations to participate in the attainment of the objectives of this Order; and

g. Perform other task as the President or the Executive Secretary may direct.1aшphi1

Section 4. Monitoring and Sustainability. The Inter-Agency Committee shall develop an integrated monitoring framework and a digital monitoring system containing a database of verified individual, family and community beneficiaries, which shall measure and capture all developed deliverable areas and indicators, The Inter-Agency Committee shall also come up with a comprehensive and integrated sustainability plan.

Section 5. Reporting. The Inter-Agency Committee, through the DSWD, shall submit to the Office of the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary, a bi-annual report on the implementation of this Order.

Section 6. Additional Manpower. The DSWD shall determine the organizational structure, appropriate staffing pattern, and corresponding qualification standards for the creation of additional positions necessary for the administration and operation of the Pag-abot Program, and submit the same to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), for review and approval,, subject to compliance with relevant laws, rules and regulations, including the Revised Standards on Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern of the DBM.

Section 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within thirty (30) working days from the effectivity of this Order, the Inter-Agency Committee shall formulate the rules and regulations necessary to implement this Order.

Section 8. Funding. The initial funding requirements necessary for the implementation of this Order shall be charged against available appropriations of the DSWD and other member-agencies of the Inter-Agencies Committee, subject to pertinent budgeting, accounting, and auditing laws, rules and regulations. Thereafter, the funding requirements necessary for the continued implementation of this Order shall be included in the budget proposals of said agencies, subject to the usual budget preparation process.

Section 9. Separability. If any part or provision of this Order shall be held invalid or unconstitutional, the provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 10. Repeal. All orders, rules and regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Order, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 11. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

DONE, in the City of Manila, this 18th day of January, in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-Four.

(SGD.) FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR.

By the President:

(SGD.) LUCAS P. BERSAMIN
Executive Secretary

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation