Enjoining the Transaction of Public Business at Regional and Field Offices of Government

June 30, 1977

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 566

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the administration to bring governmental services as close as possible to the people through the establishment of regional offices and other field units; cdt

WHEREAS, too much time, effort, money and other resources are spent by the people in unnecessarily coming to the central offices of national agencies of the government;

WHEREAS, the government has adopted a cost reduction program to economize in its operations in view of the energy crisis and world economic situation; acd

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, do hereby order and direct the following measures:

1. Heads of departments, bureaus and agencies including government-owned and controlled corporations, shall strengthen their regional and field offices to enable them to render efficient, effective and economical service to the people. For this purpose, they are hereby directed to:

a. delineate, clarify or specify the functions and responsibilities of the regional and field offices;

b. delegate more authority on administrative and substantive matters pursuant to Letter of Instructions No. 448; cd

c. issue appropriate field operations manuals for the information and guidance of field personnel; and

d. adopt other measures to strengthen regional and field offices.

2. The central offices of agencies of the national government, including government-owned and controlled corporations, shall give preferential consideration and take such appropriate control measures as may be necessary to expedite action on matters referred to them from the field offices.

3. The Civil Service Commission, Commission on Audit, Department of General Services and Budget Commission shall take appropriate measures to strengthen their organization and streamline their operations to enable them to provide effective support and assistance to the different regional offices. cd i

4. Provincial governors, city mayors, municipal mayors and barangay leaders shall encourage the people within their respective jurisdictions to transact government business with regional offices of the national government, including branches of government-owned or controlled corporations, rather than with the distant central offices of these agencies.

5. Semi-annual progress reports on the compliance of these instructions shall be made. These reports shall be prepared and integrated within the departments by the Department Committee on Cost Reduction and shall be consolidated for submission to the President by the National Committee on Cost Reduction pursuant to Letter of Instructions No. 506.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 30th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Seven.