Marcos reorganizes Office of the President

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 1:57 p.m.) — President Marcos has streamlined further the structure of his office, placing the government's lead communication arm under his direct supervision and the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) under the executive secretary.

The administrative structure of the Office of the President was streamlined under Executive Order (EO) No. 11 signed by Marcos last December 29.

"There is a need to further streamline the administrative structure of the Office of the President as part of continuing efforts towards efficiency and responsiveness in the delivery of its critical mandates to the Filipino people," the order read.

Under the EO, the Office of the President shall be composed of the Executive Office, Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, Private Office, Office of the Special Assistant to the President and the Presidential Communications Office, the government's lead communication arm formerly known as the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS). These offices are under the direct control and supervision of the President.

The Executive Office shall consist of the Executive Secretary, Office of the Senior Deputy Executive Secretary, Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for General Administration, Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs, Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Finance and Administration, and Internal Audit Office, and the respective offices attached to them. The Executive Office shall be led by the Executive Secretary.

The Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel shall provide legal advice and assistance to the President while the Private Office shall provide direct services to the President and attend to functions that are personal or which pertain to the First Family. The Protocol Office and Social Secretary's Office are under the Private Office.

The Office of the Special Assistant to the President shall have control and supervision over the presidential assistants and the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office.

The Presidential Communications Office shall be responsible for crafting, formulating, developing, enhancing and coordinating the messaging system of the executive branch and the Office of the President.

The government's communication arm was known as the OPS until the late president Benigno Aquino III reorganized it and renamed it as Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO). When Marcos became president, the PCOO's name was reverted to OPS.  

The new EO also placed the PMS under the Office of the Executive Secretary. The office is tasked to provide staff assistance to the offices under the Office of the President and to perform the functions of the Cabinet Secretariat, which assists the President in determining the topics to be discussed by the Cabinet. The cabinet clusters will also be under the PMS.

When Marcos assumed office last year, he appointed former Manila lawmaker Zenaida Angping as PMS chief. Angping went on leave last month to spend some "personal time" with her family but did not say how long she would be absent from her job.

The EO also stated that the executive secretary shall continue to exercise administrative supervision over all the offices and agencies attached to or under the Office of the President and other executive offices, which refer to offices placed under the chairmanship of the President, those under the control and supervision of the President, those attached to it for policy and program coordination and those that are not placed by law or order creating them under any specific department.

The exercise of administrative supervision by the executive secretary "shall be limited to general oversight" of the operations of offices and agencies and ensuring that they are managed effectively, efficiently and economically, without interference with day-to-day activities, the order added.