Marcos reorganizes regional development bodies

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has reorganized the Regional Development Councils (RDCs) to increase their roles in local governance, particularly in funding priority regional programs as part of the administration’s efforts to accelerate socio-economic development in the regions.

Executive Order 82 signed on Jan. 28 repealed EO 325 issued in 1996 and designated 13 government agencies and offices as additional members of RDCs.

The new members include the regional heads of the Commission on Higher Education, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Bureau of Local Government Finance, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Transportation, Cooperative Development Authority, Office of Civil Defense, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and Philippine Information Agency.

Marcos said “the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 highlights the importance of supporting the thrust towards regional development and rationalizing government functions, systems and mechanisms in achieving deep social and economic transformation in the country.”

The EO directed the National Economic and Development Authority and the Department of Budget and Management to jointly issue guidelines for the strengthening of regional investment programming and budgeting by, among others, prioritizing key programs, projects and activities under the regional development plans.

All central offices of government agencies are also 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 to that, it said.

It also set a fixed term of three years for the chairperson and co-chairperson of the RDC, coinciding with the regular term of local elective officials. They shall serve a maximum of three consecutive terms, EO 82 said.

Private sector representatives will be selected by the RDCs from various sectors of society, including non-government organizations. There shall be