EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 348, August 11, 2004

CREATING THE OFFICE OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR TO DIRECT THE OPERATIONS OF OFFICES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR MASS MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC INFORMATION SYSTEM OF THE GOVERNMENT.

WHEREAS, the task of informing and communicating to the public the policies, programs, achievements and activities of the Presidency and the Executive Branch involves several offices and agencies, each functioning in accordance with their respective mandates;

WHEREAS, there is a need for an office to coordinate and streamline the functional operations of these offices and agencies charged with public relations, public information, and news and information dissemination relative to the Presidency and the administration;

WHEREAS, under Section 31, Chapter 10, Title III, Book III of the Administrative Code of 1987, the President has the continuing authority to reorganize the administration structure of the Office of the President.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

Section 1. There is hereby created the Office of the Communications Director (OCD), to be headed by a Communications Director who shall have the rank of Secretary, to coordinate the dissemination, through the mass media, of policies, programs, achievements, reports and activities of the President and the administration.

Section 2. In addition to its primary functions, the OCD shall:

a. Systematize the various functions of different offices and agencies involved in information dissemination to ensure message consistency and integration;

b. Rationalize and strengthen public relations and communications structures in the Office of the President and the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS);

c. Improve teamwork and cohesion between and among groups, offices and agencies covered by the Executive Order,namely:

I. The OPS and the bureaus and agencies under or attached to it;

II. The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and agencies under or attached to it;

III. The Correspondence Office; IV. The Speech Writers Group; V. The Communications Research Group; and

VI. The Government-owned Media Group.

The administrative relationship between the OCD and the foregoing agencies and/or offices is shown in Annex "A" hereto attached and made an integral part hereof;

d. Maintain a Communications Research Group to conduct polls and opinion research, and coordinate similar activities within the Government towards broadening and deepening public appreciation of policies and programs;

e. Maintain a Crisis Communication Team to assist in meeting extraordinary issues affecting the Government;

f. Build teamwork among public information offices within the different departments and agencies, and promote high standards of communication and cost-effective public information delivery;

g. Formulate, issue and implement such guidelines as may be necessary to set the information coordination and integration mechanisms in place; and

h. Perform such other functions as the President may assign from time to time.

Section 3. The Communications Director shall be assisted by a Deputy Communications Director (DCD) and a Chief of Staff (CoS), both of whom shall have the rank of Undersecretary. The Communications Director shall organize his office and shall delineate the respective functional areas of the DCD and CoS.

Section 4. The Presidential Spokesperson shall assume the functions of the Press Secretary and shall exercise control and supervision over the Radio-TV Malacañang (RTVM) and the News and Information Bureau (NIB). The Bureau of Broadcast Services (BBS) and the Bureau of Communication Services (BCS) are hereby place under the control and supervision of the Group Head for Government Mass Media, created in Section 6 hereof.

Section 5. The National Printing Office (NPO) and the APO Production Unit are hereby transferred and attached to the PIA.

Section 6. Government-owned media entities are hereby grouped under the supervision of a Group Head for Government Mass Media, who shall be of cabinet rank and who shall appointed or elected to the Board of Directors of the following:

a. The Journal Group;

b. RPN-Channel 9, as Chairman;

c. NBN-Channel 4, as Chairman; and

d. IBC-Channel 13.

Section 7. The Correspondence Office of the Office of the President and the Speech Writers Group (SWG) of the Presidential Management Staff are hereby placed the operational the supervision of the OCD.

Section 8. Except as may be required under this Executive Order, all covered officials, offices and agencies shall continue with the discharge of their respective functions and responsibilities as defined under existing law and issuances.

Section 9. Funding of the OCD shall be sourced from the Office of the Press Secretary and succeeding years' appropriations of the OCD shall be prepared in accordance with the regular government budget procedures.

Section 10. All orders, rules, regulations and issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 11. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately. City of Manila Aug. 11, 2004

(SGD.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

President of the Philippines

By the President:

(SGD.) ALBERTO G. ROMULO

Executive Secretary