MANILA, Philippines- Nilagdaan ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. upang maging ganap na batas ang hakbang na muling isaayos ang socioeconomic planning body ng gobyerno sa isang full-blown executive department.
Sa isang kalatas, sinabi ng National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), pagsabay ito sa “new era” dahil ita-transform na ito sa Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev).
Ang Economy, Planning, and Development Act o Republic Act No. 12145, na nagsasabatas sa charter ng DEPDev, ay nilagdaan ng Pangulo noong April 10, 2025.
Ang bagong batas ay magpapalakas sa “mandate, institutional independence, and capacity as the country’s primary policy, planning, coordinating, and monitoring arm of the Executive branch on the national economy” ng DEPDev, dating NEDA.
“The establishment of the DEPDev contributes to sound economic governance by bridging past and future development strategies, ultimately ensuring our upward development trajectory and that economic progress is sustained, remains resilient, and is beneficial to all Filipinos,” ang sinabi ni Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.
Winika ng DEPDev na ang pagkakapasa sa batas ay pagtupad sa Section 9 ng Article XII ng 1987 Philippine Constitution, na nagsasaad na: “Congress may establish an independent economic and planning agency headed by the President, which shall, after consultations with the appropriate public agencies, various private sectors, and local government units, recommend to Congress, and implement continuing integrated and coordinated programs and policies for national development.”
Maaari namang matunton ng Socioeconomic Planning Department ang pinag-ugatan nito sa National Economic Council, na itinatag ng National Assembly noong December 23, 1935.
Bago pa itatag ng Kongreso ang DEPDev, isinagawa ng NEDA ang policy advisory nito at coordination functions sa pamamagitan ng Executive Order (EO) No. 230, s. 1987, kung saan itinalaga ang ahensya bilang technical at research body na magbibigay ng rekumendasyon at tulong sa NEDA Board kung saan ang Pangulo ang chairman.
Sa nakalipas na taon, ang papel ng NEDA ay lumawak para isama ang pangangasiwa sa membership sa mahigit sa 100 interagency bodies at councils na may kinalaman sa malawak na hanay ng socioeconomic matters at overall national development.
Ang papel na ito ay karagdagan sa central mandate sa ‘policy formulation, development planning, investment programming, policy and program coordination, at monitoring and evaluation (M&E).’
Ang ahensya ay nagsilbi bilang secretariat sa high-level bodies gaya ng NEDA Board at subcommittees nito, ang Regional Development Councils, Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, National Innovation Council, at ang Economic Development Group.
Dahil sa lumalawak nitong tungkulin, ang pagbabago sa NEDA charter ay unang ipinakilala sa Kongreso noong 2009.
“With its transformation into a full-fledged executive department, NEDA’s reorganization into the DEPDev enables the agency to function more effectively, enhancing its ability and authority to ensure policy continuity and coherence through long-term strategic planning and foresight,” ayon sa ulat.
Mandato ng DEPDev ay ang tiyakin ang alignment ng institutionalized national at regional plans, integrasyon ng long-term strategies sa budgeting process, at pagsusulong ng proactive approaches tungo sa pagtugon sa umuusbong na mga hamon.
Tungkulin din nitong palakasin ang kakayahan ng national at local government agencies sa ‘planning at policymaking’ upang masiguro ang equitable access sa economic opportunities.
Layon ng RA No. 12145 na “institutionalize the DEPDev’s mandate to conduct futures thinking and scenario planning exercises to enable the government to better anticipate and respond to technological shifts, economic disruptions, and global uncertainties.”
Sa pamamagitan ng long-term strategic policymaking, titiyakin ng ahensya ang sustainability ng economic progress at resilience ng development trajectory ng bansa sa kabila ng ‘economic disruptions at political administration changes.’
Ang iba pang pangunahing reporma sa ilalim ng batas ay institutionalization ng Planning Call, na naglalayong mas palakasin ang ugnayan sa pagitan ng ‘planning, budgeting, at M&E’ sa pamamagitan ng pagtatatag ng malinaw na pamantayan, alituntunin at accountability mechanisms.
“This initiative streamlines the integration of development priorities into the budgeting process, reducing inefficiencies and delays, promoting transparency and accountability in government decision-making, and ensuring that public resources are channeled to programs and projects most responsive or proven impactful to the country’s development needs,” ang sinabi pa rin sa ulat.
“We thank President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as well as our partners in Congress for passing this reform as we reach a new milestone in our nation’s economic history. By institutionalizing the DEPDev, we are committing to a future-ready, well-coordinated, and institutionally robust system for economic governance—one that can help drive sustained and inclusive growth and help us progressively realize our nation’s long-term vision of a matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay para sa lahat,” pahayag ni Balisacan.
Ang DEPDev’s legislated charter, RA No. 12145 nagbigay ng mandato sa ahensia, kapangyarihan at tungkulin, komposisyon at organizational structure.
Binabalangkas ng batas ang saklaw ng ahensya na trabaho para sa mga pangunahing technical exercises at outputs na inaasahan nito na isagawa at i-produce.
Kabilang dito ang pagbabalangkas sa long-term vision at development framework ng bansa; ang national at regional development plans at reports; public investment program at regional development investment programs; transparency at accountability reports; medium-term national evaluation agenda; at isang Inter-Generational Report, bukod sa iba pa.
Ang batas ay magiging epektibo 15 araw mula sa publikasyon o pagkakalathala sa Official Gazette o sa pahayagan na may general circulation. Kris Jose
