Letter of Instructions No. 36-B

[ LETTER OF INSTRUCTION NO. 36-B, November 27, 1972 ]

TO: The Executive Secretary All Department/Agency Heads Concomitant with the organization of a corps of Presidential Regional Officers for Development (PROD) pursuant to Letters of Instructions Nos. 36 and 36-A, there is hereby established a complementary corps of Coordinating Officers for Program Execution (COPE) who shall asist the President in effecting, on a national scale, the speedy and coordinated implementation of major programs of reform particularly those included in the "PLEDGES" of Government. The following officials and agencies are hereby designated Coordinating Officer for Program Execution (COPE) and Action Agency respectively, for each of the Major Programs indicated below: Program COPE Action Agency Peace and Other: Law and Order The Chief, PC DND Administration of Justice Mr. Paciencio Dept. of Justice Magtibay, POCC Public Information The Chief, OCR, DPI GHQ, AFP Land Reform: Mr. Jose Medina, DAR Jr., DAR Economic Development: Price Stabilization Mr. Robert Abling, PCC DMS Agriculture Mr. Roberto DANR Fronda, DANR/NFAC Exploration and Survey Operation Mr. Luis Mirasol, DANR Jr., DMS Infrastructure Mr. Carlos Leaño, DPWTC DPWTC/IOC Foriegn-Assisted Project Mr. Ruben Ancheta,NEDA PES Industry Mr. Arnulfo BOI Ramirez, DMS Trade & Tourism Mr. Caser Templo, DTT OP Gov't Financial & Fiscal Opns. Mr. Victor Dept. of Finance Macalingcag, DF Cooperatives Mr. Cayetano DLGCD Sarmago, DMSPower Development Mr. Arthur NPC Alvendia DMS Rural Electrification Mr. Roberto de NEA Ocampo, NEA Provincial and Community Mr. Gregorio DLGCD Development Vigilar, PDAP Development of Moral Values thru Mr. Felix Santos, Dept. of Eduction Educational Reforms DE Government Reorganization Mr. Abelardo Reorg. Commission Samonte, CR Employment and Manpower Mr. Rony Diaz, Dept. of Labor Development NM-YC Social Services: Health Dr. Jesus Almonte, Dept. of Health DH Welfare Mr. Abraham DSW Campo, PES Housing and Resettlement Mr. Jaime Venago, PAHRA PAHRA Family Planning Mr. Conrado Population Lorenzo. Commission PopCom Except for the Chief, PC, whose terms of reference shall be prescribed separately by me thru the Secretary of National Defense, the duties and responsibilities of the Coordinating Officers for Program Execution designated herein shall be governed by the general policy guidelines outlined in Letter of Instruction No. 36 as well as by the following specific terms of reference:

1. Each COPE shall be under the direct supervision of the Head of the Action Agency designated for his Program, provided such Agency Head is of Cabinet rank. Otherwise, he shall be under the direct supervision of the Executive Secretary. The Cabinet shall serve as the coordinating body for all operational activities of the COPEs.

2. Each COPE shall, on a continuing basis, monitor the conduct and/or progress of all projects and activities that fall directly under, or are indirectly related to, the national program assigned to him; identify major problem areas and their causes; and institute or recommend the necessary corrective measures to the Action Agency concerned.

a. The COPE is hereby empowered to cut across normal decision-making channels to secure the coordinating action/decisions required, which he shall subsequently cause to be speedily effected throughout the total system of program execution.

b. In no case shall the COPE establish himself as a separate or distinct layer of authority through which decisions affecting program implementation must pass.3. The COPE shall completely familiarize himself with all the projects and activities that fall directly under, or are indirectly related, the national program assigned to him. He shall check and ensure that the policy guidelines and program of implementation established at the national level are transmitted, understood, and complied with throughout the total system of program execution.

4. The COPE shall establish a close working relationship with key officials of the various local, regional, and national government agencies who are involved, directly or indirectly, in his program of responsibility. In problem areas where inter-agency or inter-regional coordination is a crucial factor, he is hereby empowered to call upon such officials/agencies to constitute, on an ad hoc basis, action Coordinating Teams (ACT) as may be necessary to expedite overall program implementation.

5. Directives by the COPE shall be made in the name of the Action Agency Head concerned, in writing, in a standard quick disposition form (to be prescribed) that can be readily issued and acknowledged on the spot. All such directives shall be recorded in a log book which the COPE shall maintain for ready reference, follow-up, and periodic review by the Action Agency Head concerned, as well as by the Cabinet.

Whereas, the primary concern of the PROD designated under Letter of Instruction No. 36-A is the speedy and coordinated implementation of all priority programs on a regional basis, the primary concern of the COPS designated herein shall be the speedy and coordinated implementation of each priority program on a national scale. Likewise whereas the PROD shall primarily be output-oriented in his approach to problems at the execution level, the COPE shall primarily be input-oriented in his approach to such problems. There is therefore an inherent necessity, as it is hereby made a mandatory requirement, that a close-knit operational interlink be established between and among each and every COPE and PROD. The following common and complementary terms of reference are hereby prescribed to avoid overlapping or conflicting actions.

1. In no case should either a COPE or a PROD institute or recommend corrective action without first having verified whether an identified problem area/bottleneck has already been acted upon.

2. In all cases, a COPE or a PROD shall immediately advise all officials concerned, particularly the Action Agency Head concerned, of any action taken on problem areas within his sphere of responsibility. The terms of reference prescribed for the Executive Secretary in Letter of Instruction No. 36-A relative to the establishment of the operational system for the PROD are hereby made applicable to the COPE. The Executive Secretary shall accordingly amend the tasks assigned to the Development Management Staff to include the compilation of Program Manuals containing a complete and up-to-date inventory of all projects and activities that fall directly under, or are indirectly related to, each of the Major Programs comprising the "PLEDGES" of Government. The duties and responsibilities attendant to the designations made herein shall be concurrent and additional to the regular duties and responsibilities of COPEs in theirrespective organic assignments. The Cabinet, thru the Executive Secretary, shall continuously monitor their workload and performance and shall submit to the President recommendations for changes in COPE---designates when the situation so warrants.

Done in the City of Manila, this 27th day of November, m the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-two.

(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS President Republic of the Philippines