Transforming the Department of Agrarian Reform into the Department of Land Reform

September 27, 2004

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 364

TRANSFORMING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM INTO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND REFORM

WHEREAS, one of the five reform packages of the Arroyo administration is Social Justice and Basic needs; HEDaTA

WHEREAS, one of the five anti-poverty measures for social justice is asset reform;

WHEREAS, asset reforms covers agrarian reform, urban land reform, and ancestral domain reform;

WHEREAS, urban land reform is a concern of the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor (PCUP) and ancestral domain reform is a concern of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples' (NCIP);

WHEREAS, another of the five reform packages of the Arroyo administration is Anti-Corruption and Good Government;

WHEREAS, one of the Good Government reforms of the Arroyo administration is rationalizing the bureaucracy by consolidating related functions into one department;

WHEREAS, under law and jurisprudence, the President of the Philippines has broad powers to reorganize the offices under her supervision and control;

NOW THEREFORE I, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, by the powers vested in me as President of the Republic of the Philippines, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. The Department of Agrarian Reform is hereby transformed into the Department of Land Reform. It shall be responsible for all land reform in the country, including agrarian reform, urban land reform, and ancestral domain reform.

SECTION 2. The PCUP is hereby placed under the supervision and control of the Department of Land Reform. The Chairman of the PCUP shall be ex-officio Undersecretary of the Department of Land Reform for Urban Land Reform.

SECTION 3. The NCIP is hereby placed under the supervision and control of the Department of Land Reform. The Chairman of the NCIP shall be ex-officio Undersecretary of the Department of Land Reform for Ancestral Domain Reform.

SECTION 4. The PCUP and the NCIP shall have access to the services provided by the Department's Finance, Management and Administrative Office; Policy, Planning and Legal Affairs Office, Field Operations and Support Services Office, and all other offices of the Department of Land Reform. IDEHCa

SECTION 5. All previous issuances that conflict with this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 6. This Executive Order takes effect immediately.

Manila, September 27, 2004