105 OG No. 15, 2132 (April 13, 2009)
WHEREAS, Republic Act
(RA) No. 8980, also known as the Early Childhood Care and Development
(ECCD) Act, promulgated a comprehensive policy and a national system
for early ECCD, and provided funds therefore and for other
purposes;
WHEREAS, the functions
of the Council for the Welfare of Children have expanded to include not
only its original functions under Presidential Decree No. 603 and
Executive Order No. 233, series of 1988, but also that as National ECCD
Coordinating Council, pursuant to Section 8 of RA
8980;
WHEREAS, there is a
necessity to promote the welfare and benefits of young children aged 0
to 6 years, who are the principal beneficiaries of the ECCD Act, as
well as to ensure that the objectives of the National ECCD System as
defined by RA No. 9080 are
achieved;
WHEREAS, Section 31,
Chapter 10, Book III of the Administrative Code of 1987 grants the
President the continuing authority to reorganize the Executive Branch
of government:
NOW, THEREFORE I, GLORIA M.
ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by
virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby
order:
Section 1. Transforming
the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) into the Early Childhood
Care and Development (ECCD) Council. - The Council for the
Welfare of Children is hereby transformed into the ECCD Council,
attached to the Office of the President, which will support the
implementation of the full range of health, nutrition, early education
and social services programs that provide for the basic holistic needs
of young children from birth to age six (6) and to promote their
optimum growth and development.
Section 2.
Composition of the Council. - The ECCD shall be composed of
the Governing Board and its Secretariat. The Governing Board shall be
headed by a Chairperson (with the salary grade and emoluments of a
Cabinet-rank Secretary) to be appointed by the
President.
The following shall be members of the
Governing Board
Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD)
Department of Education
Department of Health
and the National Nutrition Council
Union of Local Authorities
of the Philippines
The heads of the
concerned departments, agencies and institutions shall as much as
possible attend the meetings of the Council. In their absence,
department, agency, and/or institution head shall designate senior
permanent representatives who may attend and participate at meetings of
the Council for them.
The President shall also
appoint an Executive Director who shall head the ECCD
Secretariat.
Section 3.
Secretariat. - The Secretariat of the CWC shall be
transformed into the ECCD Secretariat. Moreover, technical staff may be
seconded from various departments or agencies as
necessary.
Section 4. Transfer of Other
Functions of CWC to DSWD. - The functions and staff of the
CWC now ECCD Council which are not part of ECCD are hereby transferred
to the DSWD.
Section 5. Budget. -
The Department of Budget and Management is hereby directed to provide
the necessary funding support of more or less One Hundred Million Pesos
(P100,000,000.00), chargeable against appropriate fund for the purpose
of ECCD, and subject to existing and pertinent budget and auditing
rules and regulations.
Section 6.
Repeal. - All executive orders, rules and regulations and
other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Order
are hereby revoked, amended or modified
accordingly.
Section 7.
Effectivity. - This Order shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in a national newspaper of general
circulation
DONE in the City of
Manila, this 13
th day of January in the Year of
Our Lord, Two Thousand and Nine.
(Sgd.) GLORIA M.
ARROYO
By the
President:
(Sgd.) EDUARDO R.
ERMITAExecutive
Secretary