Naku Po! News Network

President Benigno Aquino III ordered the abolition of 9 government agencies, which are under the Office of the President provided by Executive Order No. 18 signed last Thursday.

Nine agencies considered as not performing and redundant were abolished. Three of these are formulated by former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo namely the Office of the Presidential Adviser on New Government Centers, the North Luzon Growth Quadrangle Area Program Management Office, and the Luzon Urban Beltway Super Region Program Management Office.
The move was part of the administration’s effort to “improve and systematize” government operations and also beneficial with respect to saving the government budget.

Aquino also ordered the abolition of the following government offices, which were considered to have “unnecessarily duplicated” the functions of other agencies:

-Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG), whose functions are already being performed by the Bureau of Customs
-Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo), whose functions are said to be “redundant” with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA)
-Office of the Presidential Adviser on Global Warming and Climate Change, said to be “redundant” due to the creation of the Climate Change Commission (CCC) last year.
-Bicol River Basin Watershed Management Project (BRBWMP) and the Minerals Development Council, functions of which may be managed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
-Office of External Affairs, the tasks of which may be managed by the Department of Interior and Local Government

The abolished agencies were given until December 2011 to ready with the shut down operations.

The order said that the government workers who will be affected by the abolition might avail of separation and other benefits provided under existing laws.