EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 397 April 3, 1990

ESTABLISHING THE SAMAR ISLAND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OFFICE

WHEREAS, Samar Island, composed of the Provinces of Eastern Samar, Northern Samar and Samar and the City of Calbayog, is the third largest island in the country;

WHEREAS, there is a need to foster self-reliance and accelerate the implementation of projects in the Island so that development efforts will be more meaningful and effective;

WHEREAS, the National Economic and Development Authority Board has approved the Samar Island Development Program (SIDP) for the development of Samar Island;

WHEREAS, the SIDP recognizes the different roles of the national offices, local government units, non-government organizations, and the private sector in accelerating the development of the Island of Samar and uplifting the socio-economic status of its population;

WHEREAS, there is a need for an effective and viable mechanism consistent with the provisions of Executive Order No. 363, series of 1989;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

Sec. 1. Establishment of the Samar Island Development Project Office. There is hereby established an ad hoc administrative mechanism under the Office of the President for the formulation and implementation of development programs and projects for the Island of Samar to be known as the Samar Island Development Project Office (SIDPO). The SIDPO shall be composed of a Project Governing Board and a Project Management Unit with principal office in Catbalogan Samar.

Sec. 2. Composition and Functions of the Project Governing Board. The Project Governing Board, hereinafter referred to as the Board, shall be composed of the Provincial Governors of Eastern Samar, Northern Samar and Samar and the City Mayor of Calbayog City; two (2) representatives of the private sector to be designated by the President upon the joint recommendation of the Regional Development Council (RDC) and Regional Development Assembly (RDA); and the Executive Director of the Project Management Unit. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director shall be a non-voting member. The Chairman of the Board shall be elected by and from among the voting members.

The Board shall provide direction, coordination, and supervision over the implementation of the SIDP, and shall serve as a forum for addressing common inter-provincial and inter-agency concerns. It shall have the following functions:

(a) To formulate and establish the development goals and policies for the SIDP within the context of the Regional Development Plan;

(b) To mobilize support and assistance for Samar Island development from government and non-government institution;

(c) To consult Members of Congress who hail from the Samar Island on matters of mutual interest and solicit their support for priority programs and projects;

(d) To call upon the provincial, city and municipal governments and officers of government agencies and non-governmental organizations for assistance in planning and programming and in monitoring and reporting on the progress and status of the implementation of the programs and projects;

(e) To review and approve the multi-year and annual plans and investment programs under the SIDP;

(f) To oversee and coordinate the work and fund programming and project implementation of all SIDP projects consistent with existing laws, rules and regulations;

(g) To organize, supervise, and control the operations of the technical and administrative staff of the Project Management Unit (PMU), approve the annual budget for the operations of the SIDP, enter into contracts, and perform such acts as may be necessary;

(h) To submit to the Office of the President, to the RDC and Congress quarterly progress reports on the SIDP and such other reports as may be required.

The Regional Development Council Secretariat, Region VIII, shall temporarily act as Secretariat to the Board until such time one has been duly constituted by the Board.

Sec. 3. Functions and Structure of the Project Management Unit. The Project Management Unit (PMU) shall assist the Board in undertaking the day-to-day activities of the SIDPO.

It shall have the following functions:

(a) To serve as the technical and administrative secretariat of the Board;

(b) To coordinate the preparation by the line agencies and local government units of the multi-year and annual plans and investment programs of the SIDP to that the plans and budgets are integrated with the SIDP, and submit the same to the Board for its review and endorsement to the RDC;

(c) To coordinate with line agencies, local governmental units, financing institutions, non-government organizations, and other concerned entities in the implementation of the SIDP;

(d) To undertake periodic review and evaluation of the SIDP and shall, for the purpose, design and operate a program implementation and benefit monitoring and evaluation system consistent with the Region 1 Project Monitoring and Evaluation System (RPMES); and

(e) To perform such other functions as may be assigned by the Board.

The PMU shall be headed by a full-time Executive Director to be appointed by the President. The PMU shall have a complement of technical and administrative support staff, the structure and size of which shall be determined by the Board.

Within the PMU, the respective Provincial Planning and Development Offices (PPDOs), the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) and the Municipal Planning and Development Offices (MPDOs) shall be harnessed to assist in the monitoring and coordination of program and project implementation at the provincial and city levels.

Sec. 4. Roles of Governors and City and Municipal Mayors. The Provincial Governors of Samar Island, the City Mayor of Calbayog and the Municipal Mayors, through their Planning and Development Offices (PDOs), shall have the following roles:

(a) They shall coordinate the preparation and consolidation of their respective annual project work and financial plans with the line agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other local government units in the provincial, city and municipal levels in accordance with the guidelines and policies set by the SIDPO;

(b) They shall coordinate, direct, supervise and monitor the implementation of the approved provincial, city and municipal level SIDP Projects including projects of national agencies in their areas in accordance with guidelines and policies set by the SIDPO;

(c) They shall implement projects and activities assigned to them as specified under the approved multi-year and annual SID Program, through the respective provincial, city and municipal offices;

(d) They shall submit periodic reports on their operations and performance to the SIDPO; and

(e) To undertake such other functions as may be deemed appropriate by the SIDP in pursuit of the goals and objectives of the development projects.

Sec. 5. Role of Line Agencies. The line agencies subject to the direction, Supervision and control of the PGB shall be responsible for planning, work and fund programming, and project implementation of their respective Samar Island projects and development activities. To ensure effective planning, programming and monitoring of SIDPO project implementation, the concerned line agencies are hereby directed to second the necessary personnel to SIDPO.

Sec. 6. Duration of the SIDPO. The SIDPO SHALL have a term of five (5) years from the date of effectivity of this Executive Order. Thereafter, all assets and liabilities of the SIDPO shall be turned over the Office of the President for proper disposal and liquidation.

Sec. 7. Funding and Funds Flow. The Department Budget and Management (DBM) is hereby directed to allocate from any applicable funds the amount of Five Million Pesos (P5,000.000) for personnel, maintenance and other operating expenses, and capital outlay expenses for the initial year of the operation of the SIDPO. Thereafter, the DBM shall provide the funding requirement for SIDPO operations under the budget of the Office of the President in the annual appropriations act. The DBM is further directed to release the SIDP Project Funds directly to provincial/city offices of implementing agencies and local government units and the SIDP Project Office funds, to the SIDPO, subject to the applicable accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

Sec. 8. Effectivity. The Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 3rd day of April, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety. lawphi1.net


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