Reorganizing and Renaming the Presidential Communications Operations Office and Its Attached Agencies into the Office of the Press Secretary, Abolishing the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson, and for Other Purposes

June 30, 2022

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 02

REORGANIZING AND RENAMING THE PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS OPERATIONS OFFICE AND ITS ATTACHED AGENCIES INTO THE OFFICE OF THE PRESS SECRETARY, ABOLISHING THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Administration to nurture a well-informed and enlightened citizenry, as well as to protect, promote, and abide by the highest standards of free expression and respect for press freedom;

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Administration to provide true, accurate, and relevant information through effective utilization of communications assets and resources;

WHEREAS, Memorandum Order No. 32, s. 1986 created the Office of the Press Secretary which handled the information and communications operations of the Office of the President (OP);

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 4, s. 2010, as amended, created the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and organized the agencies attached therein;

WHEREAS, E.O. No. 111, s. 2020 reconstituted the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson and abolished the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO);

WHEREAS, there is a need to rationalize and consolidate the communications arm of the Administration for a more efficient delivery of public policy to the general public;

WHEREAS, Section 31, Chapter 20, Title III, Book III of the Executive Order No. 292, s. 1987, or the Administrative Code of 1987 provides that the President has continuing authority to reorganize the administrative structure of the OP;

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

SECTION 1. Office of the Press Secretary. — The PCOO is hereby reorganized and renamed as the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) which shall be headed by a Press Secretary.

SECTION 2. Organization of the OPS. — The OPS shall be organized as follows:

a) Office of the Secretary. The Office of the Secretary (OSec) shall have an Assistant Secretary, with support staff of not more than twenty (20) personnel to be designated by the Press Secretary and approved by the Executive Secretary in the exigency of the service and in accordance with civil service law and rules;

b) Undersecretaries. In addition to the foregoing, there shall be undersecretaries for the following areas, each of which shall have assistant secretaries and support staff:

1. Operations, Plans and Policies;

2. Administration, Finance and Procurement;

3. Legal Affairs;

4. Media Accreditation and Relations;

5. Digital Media Services;

6. Print Media Services, and related GOCCs and attached agencies;

7. Broadcast Media Services, and related GOCCs and attached agencies; and

8. Special Concerns.

SECTION 3. Powers and Functions of the OPS. — The OPS shall perform the following functions:

a. Pronounce, on behalf of the President, matters pertaining to his actions, policies, programs, official activities, and accomplishments;

b. Develop and implement necessary guidelines and mechanisms pertaining to the delivery and dissemination of information on policies, programs, official activities, and achievements of the President and the Executive Branch;

c. Coordinate the crafting, formulation, development, and enhancement of the messaging system under the OP and the Executive Branch;

d. Supervise and coordinate with the agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) attached to the OPS for purposes of further strengthening the system of information delivery to the public.

e. Establish and maintain rapport with private media and other similar entities and stakeholders; and

f. Perform such other functions as the OP may assign from time to time.

SECTION 4. Divisions. — All existing divisions and units of the PCOO shall be organized and reorganized under the areas of concern of the undersecretaries of the OPS. All redundant positions, divisions, and units, as may be determined by the OP, shall be abolished.

SECTION 5. Office of the Presidential Spokesperson. — The Office of the Presidential Spokesperson is hereby abolished, and all its permanent personnel, equipment, and functions are transferred to the OPS.

SECTION 6. Agencies, Bureaus, and other Offices Attached to the OPS. — The following agencies, bureaus, and offices shall be attached to the OPS for purposes of supervision, control, and budget clustering:

a. APO Production Unit;

b. Bureau of Broadcast Services;

c. Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation;

d. National Printing Office;

e. News and Information Bureau; and

f. People's Television Network, Inc.

SECTION 7. Transfer of the Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM). — RTVM and all its permanent personnel, equipment and functions shall be placed under the direct supervision and control of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS).

SECTION 8. Strengthening the Philippine Information Agency. — The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) shall be under the direct supervision of the OP. The PIA shall absorb the following offices previously under the control and supervision of the PCOO:

a. Bureau of Communications Services;

b. Freedom of Information-Program Management Office; and

c. Good Governance Office.

Further, the PIA shall continue to be headed by a Director-General, with a rank of Undersecretary, and shall be entitled to four (4) Deputy Directors-General with the rank, salary, and emoluments of Assistant Secretary, and four (4) Assistant Directors-General with the rank, salary, and emoluments of Director IV. The said Deputy and Assistant Directors-General shall be entitled to their respective support staff. These Deputy Directors-General and Assistant Directors-General shall support the plans, programs, and policies of the PIA and the OP in developing communications and various priority thrusts.

The Divisions and Regional Offices of the PIA shall each be headed by a Director II, to be appointed by the Director-General, subject to existing civil service rules.

Lastly, the Director-General, Deputy Directors-General, Assistant Directors-General and Directors II positions shall be included in the plantilla positions and shall be considered for eligibility and ranking under the Career Executive Service regulations.

SECTION 9. Rationalization and Streamlining. — All concerned offices shall cause for the rationalization of staffing patterns, subject to the approval of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the OP.

SECTION 10. Appropriations. — The budget of the offices herein reorganized shall be sourced from the remaining budget of the PCOO, its attached agencies, and the OP, for the current year. The succeeding years' appropriations for the said offices shall be prepared in accordance with regular government budget procedures.

SECTION 11. Discharge of Functions. — Except as may be required or warranted under this Executive Order, all agencies shall continue to discharge their respective functions and responsibilities as defined under existing laws or issuances.

SECTION 12. Repeal. — E.O. No. 4, s. 2010 and E.O. No. 111, s. 2020, are hereby repealed. All other orders, rules, regulations and issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Order, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 13. Separability. — If any section or provision of this Order is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the portions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 14. Effectivity. — This Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 30th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-Two.

 

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 118, No. 28, p. 7853 on July 11, 2022.