EXECUTIVE ORDER No. 472 November 20, 2005

TRANSFERRING THE NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 491 promulgated on 24 June 1974 created the National Nutrition Council (NNC) as the highest policy making and coordinating body on nutrition under the Office of the President;

WHEREAS, during the 1980 bureaucracy-wide reorganization including that of the Office of the President, NNC was transferred to the Department of Agriculture (DA);

WHEREAS, Executive Order No 234, "reorganizing the National Nutrition Council" issued on 22 July 1987 transferred and attached NNC from DA to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which reaffirmed the need for an inter-sectoral national policy making and coordinating body on nutrition;

WHEREAS, Section 27 of Executive Order No. 116 in relation to Section 25 of Executive Order No. 123, both series of 1987, authorized changes in the organization of the DA and the DSWD, respectively to promote efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of public services;

WHEREAS, Administrative Oeder No. 88 issued on 26 August 1988 transferred NNC form the DSWD back to DA with the representative of DA in the Governing Board designated as the NNC Chairperson;

WHEREAS, equally important to ensuring food security and addressing hunger, nutritional needs should be addressed during the first two years of life and the interventions should address the immediate needs as well as its root causes;

WHEREAS, in order to ensure that NNC shall be effective in the performance of its role, it shall be attached to a client oriented agency adressing the needs of the priority target population groups;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Administrative Code of 1987, the Presient has the continuing authourity to reorganize the National Government.

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

Section 1. The National Nutrition Council is hereby transferred from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Health.

Section 2. The Secretary of the Department of Health shall be the ex-officio Chairperson of the Governing Board of the National Nutrition Council with the Secretaries of Department of Agriculture and the Department of Interior and Local Governemnt as ex-officio Vice-Chairpersons.

Section 3. The National Nutrition Council Executive Director shall undertake the steps necessary to ensure reallignment of its operations to focus on client-based operations and prioritize addressing hunger and malnutrition and formulate the operational guidelines of its Executive Order.

Section 4. The Naational Nutrition Council shall endorse to donor agencies and the National Economic Development Agency project proposals for local funding and official development assistance and is authorized, subject to existing laws and the usual government acounting and auditing rules and regulations, to generate and mobilize resources for addressing hunger and malnutrition consistent with the Millennium Development Goals.

Section 5. Except as herei provided and subject to the provisions of Executive Order No. 234, series of 1987, there shall be no changes in the existing structure and staffing patern of the National Nutrition Council.

Section 6. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila this 30th day of November in the year of our Lord Two Thousand and Five.

(Sgd.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

By the President:

(Sgd.) MA. MERCEDITAS N. GUTIERREZ

Acting Executive Secretary