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Executive Orders

Creating a Ministry of Public Works and Highways

Executive Order No. 710

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 710 July 27, 1981

CREATING A MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS

WHEREAS, under the New Republic, national economic development shall be pursued with renewed dedication and greater determinations;

WHEREAS, the separation of the functions pertaining to public highways from those concerning public works had been prompted by the necessity of hastening the completion of the major road networks of the country;

WHEREAS, the construction of such major road networks having been completed for the most part, such government functions may now be merged once again for greater simplicity and economy in operations; and

WHEREAS, under Presidential Decree No. 1416 as amended, the President is empowered to undertake such organizational and related improvements as may be appropriate in the light of changing circumstances and new developments;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and the authority vested in me by Presidential Decree No. 1416 as amended, do hereby order and ordain:...

Summary of Executive Order No. 710

Creation of Ministry of Public Works and Highways
- Creates a Ministry of Public Works and Highways by merging the existing Ministry of Public Works and Ministry of Public Highways (Section 1)
- Abolishes the existing ministries and transfers their functions, appropriations, records, equipment, property, and necessary personnel to the new Ministry (Section 1)

Authority and Responsibilities
- Vests authority and responsibility for the Ministry in the Minister of Public Works and Highways, appointed by the President (Section 2)
- Allows the Minister to appoint Deputy Ministers and assign their functional areas of responsibility, except for primarily administrative responsibilities (Section 2)

Ministry Proper Composition
- Consists of Office of the Minister, Planning Service, Financial and Management Service, Administrative Service, Legal Service, Manpower Development Service, and Comptrollership Service (Section 3)
- Comptrollership Service absorbs the abolished Infrastructure Computer Center (Section 3)

Staff Bureaus under Ministry Supervision
- Bureau of Construction: provides technical services on construction, rehabilitation, betterment, and improvement of infrastructure facilities (Section 4)
- Bureau of Design: undertakes project development, engineering surveys, and designs of infrastructure facilities (Section 4)
- Bureau of Equipment: provides technical services on management of construction and maintenance equipment and ancillary facilities (Section 4)
- Bureau of Maintenance: provides technical services on maintenance and repair of infrastructure facilities (Section 4)
- Bureau of Materials and Quality Control: provides research and technical services on quality control and management of materials plants and facilities for production and processing of construction materials (Section 4)

Entities under Administrative Supervision
- National Water Resources Council (Section 5)
- Metro Manila Flood Control Development Council (Section 5)
- Pasig River Development Council (Section 5)

Attached Corporations for Policy and Program Coordination
- From Systems Development Corporation (Section 6)
- Local Water Utilities Administration (Section 6)
- Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (Section 6)
- National Irrigation Administration (Section 6)

Other Organizational Changes
- Communications and Electricity Development Authority attached to Ministry of Energy for policy and program coordination (Section 7)
- Philippine Ports Authority attached to Ministry of Transportation and Communications for policy and program coordination, with Minister of Transportation and Communications as Chairman and Minister of Public Works and Highways as member of the Board (Section 7)
- Central Luzon-Cagayan Valley Authority abolished, and its functions, appropriations, records, equipment, property, and necessary personnel transferred to appropriate units of the Ministry (Section 7)
- Functions of Building Services and Real Property Management Office of General Services Administration pertaining to maintenance and repair of public buildings transferred to appropriate units of the Ministry, including applicable appropriations, records, equipment, property, and necessary personnel (Section 7)

Minister's Roles and Responsibilities
- Minister assumes position of Chairman or member of all boards or other bodies previously held by either Minister of Public Works or Minister of Public Highways in an ex-officio capacity (Section 8)
- Minister establishes ministry-wide regional offices as necessary, under supervision and control of Office of the Minister, in accordance with Integrated Reorganization Plan (Section 9)
- Regional Director exercises supervision and control over Ministry activities in the region, except as otherwise provided (Section 9)
- Project Management Offices established as required, under supervision and control of appropriate Regional Director, unless otherwise determined by the Minister (Section 9)
- Regional Director has administrative supervision over equipment depots and materials plants in the region, which shall have separate managerial and accounting systems and operate as financially self-sustaining entities (Section 9)

Implementation and Staffing
- Ministry authorized to issue orders, rules, and regulations necessary to implement the provisions, subject to approval of Ministry of the Budget for staffing pattern, organizational structure, and realignment of appropriations (Section 10)
- Minister may appoint qualified personnel of abolished Ministries to appropriate positions in the new Ministry, and those not appointed are deemed laid off (Section 10)
- All Presidential appointees of abolished Ministries and their entities are laid off, unless reappointed by the President (Section 11)
- Career Executive Service Officers shall be reappointed or reassigned by the President upon recommendation of the Minister to appropriate positions in the new Ministry, or assigned to the Career Executive Service Board for placement in other ministries or agencies (Section 11)
- Career Executive Service Officers assigned to the Career Executive Service Board shall continue to receive their salaries from available and applicable funds (Section 11)
- Career Executive Service Officers not placed in appropriate positions within six months after assignment to the Career Executive Service Board shall be laid off (Section 11)

Benefits and Transition
- Those laid off under the provisions of this Executive Order shall be entitled to all benefits and gratuities provided for under existing laws (Section 12)
- Present incumbents of positions in the abolished ministries shall continue to exercise their usual functions, duties, and responsibilities, pending the issuance of appropriate implementing orders, except as otherwise determined by the Minister (Section 13)

Repealing and Separability Clauses
- All laws, decrees, orders, proclamations, rules, regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly (Section 14)
- Any portion or provision of this Executive Order that may be declared unconstitutional shall not have the effect of nullifying the other provisions thereof, provided that such remaining portions can still stand and be given effect in their entirety to accomplish the objectives of this Executive Order (Section 15)

Effectivity
- This Executive Order shall take effect immediately (Section 16)

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