Executive Order No. 82




MALACAÑAN PALACE MANILA BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES [ EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 82, January 28, 2025 ] ACCELERATING SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN ALL REGIONS, STRENGTHENING REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS FOR THE PURPOSE WHEREAS, Section 14, Article X of the Constitution mandates the President to provide for regional development councils (RDCs) or other similar bodies composed of of local government officials, regional heads of departments and other govenrment offices, and representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) within the regions for purpose of administrative decentralization to strengthen the autonomy and to accelerate the economic and social growth and development of the units therein; WHEREAS, Section 4, Article X of the Constitution mandates the President to exercise general supervision over local governments; WHEREAS, Section 2(c) of Republic Act (RA) No. 7160 or the "Local Government Code of 1991", declares it a policy of the State to require all national agencies and offices to conduct periodic consultations with appropriate local government units (LGUs), NGOs and people's organizations, and other concerned sectors of the community before any project or program is implemented in their respective jurisdictions; WHEREAS, Section 114(c) of RA No. 7160 provides that the approved development plans of provinces, highly-urbanized cities, and independent component cities shall be submitted to the RDC, which shall be integrated into the regional development plan for submission to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), in accordance with existing laws; WHEREAS, Letter of Implementation No. 22 (s. 1972) established an RDC in each region of the country with the goal of translating national economic goals to more specific regional objectives; WHEREAS, Executive Order (EO) No. 325 (s. 1996) repealed EO No. 308 (s. 1987), as amended by EO Nos. 318 (s. 1988), 347 (s. 1989), 366 (s. 1989), 455 (s. 1991) and 505 (s. 1992), to reorganize the RDCs by, among others, expanding its membership and socio-economic development functions; WHEREAS, the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 highlights the importance of supporting the thrust towards regional development and rationalizing govenrment functions, systems and mechanisms in achieving deep social and economic transformation in the country; WHEREAS, it is imperative to further reorganize the RDCs to strengthen their role in the pursuit of regional socio-economic development; and WHEREAS, Section 17, Article VII of the Constitution vests in the President the power of control over all the 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. Reconstitution of the RDCs. The RDCs shall serve as the highest planning and policy-making body for socio-economic development in all regions of the country. Each RDC shall be composed of the following regular members: a. All provincial governors; b. All city mayors; c. Mayors of municipalities designated as provincial capital; d. All provincial chapter presidents of the League of Municipalities; e. One (1) regional head from the following agencies: (i) NEDA; (ii) Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas; (iii) Commission on Higher Education; (iv) Department of Agrarian Reform; (v) Department of Agriculture; (vi) Department of Budget and Management (DBM); (vii) Department of Education; (viii) Department of Energy; (ix) Department of Environment and Natural Resources; (x) Department of Foreign Affairs; (xi) Bureau of Local Government Finance; (xii) Department of Health; (xiii) Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development; (xiv) Department of Information and Communications Technology; (xv) Department of the Interior and Local Government; (xvi) Department of Migrant Workers; (xvii) Department of Labor and Employment; (xviii) Department of Public Works and Highways; (xix) Department of Science and Technology; (xx) Department of Social Welfare and Development; (xxi) Department of Tourism; (xxii) Department of Transportation; (xxiii) Department of Trade and Industry; (xxiv) Cooperative Development Authority; (xxv) National Commission on Indigenous Peoples; (xxvi) Office of Civil Defense; (xxvii) Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; (xxviii) Philippine Information Agency; and (xxix) such other agencies or instrumentalities that the RDCs deem critical to their respective regions; Provided, that each agency shall be represented by only one (1) regional head; Provided further, that in cases where there are several bureaus or units under one (1) agency, the representatives shall be designated by its mother agency; f. Private Sector Representatives (PSRs), subject to Section 2 hereof. Section 2. The PSRs. The PSRs shall be selected by the RDCs from various sectors of society, including NGOs, and shall comprise one-fourth (1/4) of the regular membership of each RDC. There shall be at least one (1) PSR each from the labor, agriculture, and infrastructure sector. As may be necessary, a PSR from the energy sector may also be included as a member of the RDC. The selection of PSRs shall be in accordance with the Implementing Guidelines under Section 9 hereof, subject to the following: a. The process and guidelines for the selection of PSRs shall be uniform for all RDCs; Provided, that the specific requirements of all regions shall be considered accordingly in their respective Manuals of Operations; b. The PSRs shall be a Filipino citizens, of legal age, with proven track record in the field of socio-economic development, and must not hold any government position; c. The PSRs shall not be entitled to any remuneration in their capacity as such, but shall be entitled to honoraria, including travelling expenses, in accordance with exiting budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations; and d. The PSRs shall serve for a fixed term of three (3) years coinciding with the regular term of elective local officials. They shall serve a maximum of three (3) consecutive terms. The RDC, however, may allow extension of term in exceptional cases. Section 3. Special Members. The RDCs may designate special non-voting members (SNVMs) who shall assist them in the performance of their functions. The selection of SNVMs shall be in accordance with Implementing Guidelines under Section 9 hereof. Section 4. Duties and Functions of RDCs. Subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations, the RDCs shall have the following duties and functions: a. Coordinate and set the direction of all socio-economic development efforts in the region, as well as lead the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of regional development plans (RDPs), regional physical plans, regional spatial development frameworks, regional development investment programs (RDIPs), and special development plans; b. Prioritize, review and, as applicable, endorse to the national government the following: (i) projects that support RDPs and/or require funding support from the national government; (ii) annual budget of regional offices of the member-agencies of the RDC; and (iii) national projects that will be implemented in and/or that have an impact on the region, as well as LGU projects requiring national government financial exposure in the form of guarantees, budget appropriations or subsidies, among others. The RDCs shall also coordinate and lead the monitoring and evaluation of the aforementioned projects; c. Promote and oversee the inflow and allocation of private investments in the region to support regional development objectives, policies and strategies; d. As may be necessary, consult and coordinate with members of the House of Representatives and LGU officials for the effective implementation of this Order, and create sectoral committees, technical working groups, and advisory committees for the purpose. Sectoral committees may include, but shall not be limited to, the following: (i) Social Development Committee; (ii) Economic Development Committee; (iii) Infrastructure Development Committee; (iv) Development Administration Committee, and (v) Environment Committee; e. Pursue capacity building of LGUs on socio-economic planning, investment programming, and project development; and f. Perform other functions as may be directed by the President and/or the Executive Secretary. Section 5. Strengthening Regional Investment Programming and Budgeting. The NEDA and the DBM, in coordination with relevant government agencies, are hereby directed to jointly issue guidelines for the strengthening of regional investment programming and budgeting by, among others, prioritizing key programs, projects, and activities under the RDPs. All central offices of government agencies are hereby directed to prioritize key RDC-endorsed programs, projects and activities in their investment programs and annual budgets, and provide feedback through their regional offices to the RDCs on their actions relative thereto. Section 6. RDC Officials. Each RDC shall be jointly headed by Chairperson and a Co-Chairperson to be appointed by the President from among the local chief executives and PSR members of the RDC. However, if the Chairperson is from the government sector, the Co-Chairperson shall be selected from the private sector, and vice-versa. For this purpose, the RDCs may submit a list of nominees for the President's consideration. The Chairperson and Co-Chairperson shall serve in the RDC for a fixed term of three (3) years coinciding with the regular term of local elective officials. They shall serve a maximum of three (3) consecutive terms.ℒαwρhi৷ The NEDA Regional Director shall serve as ex-officio Vice Chairperson of the RDC. The NEDA Regional Office shall serve as the Secretariat of the RDC. Section 7. Duties and Functions of the Chairperson and Co-Chairperson. Subject to existing laws, rules and regulations, the Chairperson and Co-Chairperson shall have the following duties and functions: a. Direct and supervise all activities of the RDC and any of its committees; b. Accept, in behalf of the RDC, donations, contributions, grants, bequests or gifts, in cash or in kind, from foreign governments, international offices, private entities, or any individual for purposes relevant to regional development, and submit for approval of the RDC a program for its utilization, subject to the provisions on donations under the General Provisions of the General Appropriations Act; c. Oversee the implementation of inter-provincial and region-wide development programs, activities and projects, and coordinate with concerned agencies and LGUs to address issues in the implementation thereof; d. Serve as ex-officio Chairperson of any ad hoc committee which the RDC may create, unless otherwise specified; and e. Perform other functions and duties as may be directed by the President and/or the Executive Secretary. Section 8. Executive Committee. The RDC shall create an Executive Committee which shall act on matters that require immediate attention. The Executive Committee shall be composed of one-fourth (1/4) of the total regular members of the RDC. All chairpersons of sectoral committees shall be members of the Executive Committee. The PSRs shall likewise be represented in the Executive Committee. The RDC officials enumerated in Section 6 of this Order shall serve as the officers of the Executive Committee. All actions and decisions of the Executive Committee shall be valid unless disallowed by the RDC once it resumes session. Section 9. Implementing Guidelines. Within sixty (60) working days from the effectivity of this Order, NEDA shall issue the necessary guidelines for the implementation of this Order, which shall include the following, among others: (a) framework for the preparation and approval of the Manual of Operations of RDCs; (b) mechanism for the selection of a Secretary and/or other officers for each RDC, including their duties and functions; and (c) rules on vacancy and succession of RDC officials and officers. Section 10. Funding. The funding requirements for the initial implementation of this Order shall be charged against the current and available appropriations of NEDA and such other sources as may be identified by the DBM. Thereafter, the funding requirements necessary for the continued implementation of this Order shall be included in the budget proposals of NEDA, subject to the usual budget preparation process. Section 11. Non-Applicability. This Order shall not apply to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the National Capital Region, pursuant to RA No. 11054 or the "Organic Law for the BARMM" and RA No. 7924, respectively. Section 12. Separability. If any section or part of this Order is declared to be unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect. Section 13. Repealing Clause. EO No. 325 (s. 1996) is hereby repealed. All other issuances, orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. Section 14. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. DONE, in the City of Manila, this 28th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-Five. (Sgd.) FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR. By the President: (Sgd.) LUCAS P. BERSAMIN Executive Secretary The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation