PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the reorganization of the economic and development council to ensure continued pursuit of the goals set for the government’s socioeconomic programs, appointing his trusted officials to key positions in the reinforced body.
Signed by Marcos on August 13 and released by the presidential palace on August 18, Administrative Order No. 37 reorganizes the Economy and Development (ED) Council and its committees, “to ensure continuity in the integration, coordination and implementation of various socioeconomic policies and programs of the government.”
In signing the AO, the president designated the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (SAPIEA) — a position currently served by Frederick Go — as member of the ED Council and to represent the Office of the President, including the Office of the Executive Secretary (currently Lucas Bersamin) in the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC); Investment Coordination Committee (ICC); Infrastructure Committee (InfraCom); and the Social Development Committee (SDC).
The SAPIEA shall also be the chairperson of the Economic Development Committee (EDCom), with the secretaries of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) — currently Secretary Arsenio Balisacan — and the Department of Finance (DOF) — currently Secretary Ralph Recto — as vice chairpersons, the AO said.
The DOF Secretary, meanwhile, has been designated as co-chairperson of DBCC, along with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary (currently Amenah Pangandaman).
AO 37 also designated the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary (Conrado Estrella III); Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General (Jose Francisco Benitez); and National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Lead Convenor (Lope Santos III) as additional members of the SDC.
it also named the DAR secretary and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary (Raphael Lotilla) as additional members of the Tariff and Related Matters Committee (TRMC).
The reorganization of the ED Council and its committees shall be effective beginning April 27, 2025, the AO said, without elaborating.
