President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the reorganization of the Economy and Development Council (ED Council) and its committees to guarantee the effective implementation of the government’s socioeconomic policies and programs.
Under Administrative Order (AO) No. 37 signed on August 13, President Marcos appointed the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (SAPIEA) as a member of the ED Council.
The SAPIEA, who is currently Secretary Frederick D. Go, was also designated as chairperson of the Council’s Economic Development Committee (EDCom), with the Secretaries of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) and the Department of Finance (DOF) as vice chairpersons.
The SAPIEA will also sit and represent the Office of the President, including the Executive Secretary, in the ED Council’s Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), Investment Coordination Committee (ICC), Infrastructure Committee (InfraCom), and Social Development Committee (SDC).
The Secretaries of the DOF and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) were designated as co-chairpersons of the DBCC.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the director-general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the lead convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission were named as members of the SDC.
The Secretaries of DAR and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources were named as members of the ED Council’s Tariff and Related Matters Committee.
AO No. 37 said the DEPDev cited the “need to reorganize the composition of the ED Council and its Committees to ensure continuity in the integration, coordination, and implementation of various socioeconomic policies and programs of the government.”
The ED Council, formerly known as the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, was established upon the enactment of Republic Act No. 12145, also known as the Economy, Planning, and Development Act, last April.
The ED Council is headed by the President and serves as the executive collegial body responsible for directing and providing overall policy direction on economic matters to achieve inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development. (PND)
