Duterte abolishes 2 OP offices, transfers supervision of some OP agencies to departments

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday issued a directive transferring to some departments the responsibility of supervising agencies under the Office of Cabinet Secretary (OCS), a position that became vacant following the resignation of Bohol gubernatorial aspirant Leoncio "Jun" Evasco Jr. this month.

Evasco used to supervise 12 agencies, two of which (National Food Authority and the Philippine Coconut Authority) were returned to the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture (DA) last month through Executive Order 62. The same EO transferred the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority from the Office of the President to the DA.

Duterte followed it up by issuing Executive Order 67, which transfers the supervision of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Cooperative Development Authority to the Department of Trade and Industry.

The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, the Philippine Commission on Women and the National Youth Commission are now under the Department of the Interior and Local Government, while the National Anti-Poverty Commission, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor have become attached agencies of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Duterte ordered the transferred agencies to harmonize their policies and coordinate their programs and activities with their supervising departments as well as simplify their systems and processes.

The President also abolished the Office of Participatory Governance (OPG) and the Performance and Projects Management Office (PPMO). He said the functions of the OPG shall be absorbed by the DILG, while those of the PPMO shall be carried out by the Presidential Management Staff (PMS).

"[T]here is a need to further rationalize the OP [Office of the President] Proper to strengthen its oversight functions over the executive department and further streamline the relevant mandates of its own offices for improved coordination and collaboration, consistent with the right-sizing policy of espoused by the administration," the order read.

Duterte also reverted OCS' name to its original Cabinet Secretariat, whose function is to assist the President in preparing the agenda topics for Cabinet deliberation or facilitating the discussion of Cabinet meetings.

"The Cabinet Secretariat shall serve serve as the head secretariat of the different Cabinet cluster secretariats. In such capacity and in aid of its functions as defined herein, it shall continue to participate in Cabinet cluster meetings, as well as in the National Economic and Development Authority Board and committee meetings," the order stated.

The PMS, meanwhile, is mandated to monitor the implementation of presidential directives, Cabinet decisions, and Cabinet cluster directives, instructions and commitments, and provide the Executive Office with policy inputs on the management of affairs of the government.

Duterte has yet to name Evasco's replacement even as the Palace said Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles is among those being considered for the job. — BM, GMA News