REORGANIZING THE NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION AND TRANSFERRING ITS ATTACHMENT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
WHEREAS, Section 1, Article XII of the Constitution provides that the State shall promote industrialization based on sound agricultural development and agrarian reform;
WHEREAS, Republic Act (RA) No. 3601, as amended, created the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), a government-owned or -controlled corporation (GOCC) attached to the Office of the President (OP), to investigate, study, improve and administer all national irrigation systems in the Philippines;
WHEREAS, Executive Order (EO) No. 168 (s. 2022) transferred the attachment of the NIA from OP to the Department of Agriculture (DA), and directed the Governance Commission for GOCCs to study the reorganization of the NIA Board of Directors;
WHEREAS, irrigation management and development is vital towards achieving food security and ensuring infrastructure development in the country, which are among the Administration's priority initiatives;
WHEREAS, it is imperative to streamline and rationalize the functional relationships of agencies with complementary mandates in order to promote coordination, efficiency, and coherence within the bureaucracy;
WHEREAS, Section 31, Chapter 10, Title III, Book III of EO No. 292 or the "Administrative Code of 1987" authorizes the President to reorganize the administrative structure of the OP in order to achieve simplicity, economy and efficiency; and
WHEREAS, Section 17, Article VII of the Constitution vests in the President the power of control over all executive departments, bureaus, and offices and the mandate to ensure the faithful execution of laws;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND R, MARCOS, JR., President of the Philippines, by virtue vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws, do hereby order:
Section 1. Attachment. The NIA is hereby attached to the OP for policy and program coordination.
Section 2. Composition of the NIA Board of Directors. The NIA Board is hereby organized and shall now be composed of the following:
a. Representative from the Office of the President;
b. Administrator, NIA;
c. Secretary, Department of Public Works and Highways;
d. Secretary, Department of Agriculture;
e. Secretary, National Economic and Development Authority; and
f. Representative from the Private Sector to be appointed by the President.
The election, appointment or designation of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and other officers of the Board of Directors shall be in accordance with RA No. 10159 or "GOCC Governance Act of 2011."
Section 3. Separability. If any provision of this Order is declared invalir or unconstitutional, other portions not affected thereby shall remain valid and subsisting.
Section 4. Repeal. EO No. 168 (s. 2022) is hereby repealed. All other issuances, orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof that are inconsistent with this Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Section 5. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately.
DONE, in the City of Manila, this 5th day of September, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-Four.
(Sgd.) FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR.
By the President:
(Sgd.) LUCAS P. BERSAMIN
Executive Secretary
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