|
|
|
|
|
Introduction The
evolution of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)
can be traced back to the Revolutionary Period as the Filipinos
continuously strive for self governance, then went through various
changes and modifications in consonance with political decisions at
different period of the country’s history until it metamorphosed into
one of the largest unit of the Executive branch of the Philippine
Government with the issuance of RA 6975. The
Revolutionary Period By
virtue of Acta de Tejeros of March 23, 1897, the Department of Interior
was created with Katipunan Supremo Andres Bonifacio assuming as its
Director effective as of August 26, 1897. Afterwards,
in an election, Emilio Aguinaldo won over Andres Bonifacio as head of
the Revolutionary Government, and on November 7, 1897 Bonifacio
as replaced by Isabelo Octavio as Secretary of the Department of
Interior. The
First Philippine Republic On
June 12, 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo declared Philippine Independence at
Kawit, Cavite which signaled the birth of the First Philippine Republic. From
1898 until 1901, Leandro Ibarra, Teodoro Sandico and Antonio de las Alas
succeeded each other as Secretary of the Department. The
First Republic ended in 1901 when the Americans occupied the island and
modified the government set-up. The American Occupation The onset of the American regime did not put an end to the Department. On September 6, 1901, upon the instruction of the President of the United States to the Secretary of War, the Department of the Interior, was organized. The Department originally embraced within its executive control the Bureau of Health, the Qurantine Service of the Marine, the Bureau of Pagan and Mohammedan Tribes, the Bureau of Public Lands, the Bureau of Government Laboratories, and the Bureau of Patents and Copyrights. Prior to its organization, Dean C. Worcester, who was a member of the Philippine Commission was appointed Commissioner of Interior in July 1901. Twenty days after, on September 26, 1901, the Department was transformed into an Executive Bureau under the Office of the Governor General by Act. No. 2122. Under said Act, the limits of the Executive Bureau were spelled out and its main function focused on the supervision of local governments. However, the Bureau did not last long. On October 26, 1905, the Department of the Interior was restored by Act No. 1407 which likewise, ordered the transfer of the Bureau to the newly created Department. In 1907, Worcester was succeeded by Wilfred T. Dennison. It was in 1909, when the Filipinos made significant advances towards representation in the American Government. Rafael Palma was appointed by the American ruler and became the First Filipino Secretary of Interior. He was succeeded by Jose P. Laurel Sr. with Felipe Agoncillo later succeeding Laurel. Subsequent measures either broadened or modified the functions of the Department. On November 27, 1929, Act No. 3582 created the Board of Review for Moving Pictures and placed it under the Department. Then, when Act No. 4007 was enacted on November 5, 1932, the administration of provinces, municipalities, cities and other political subdivisions, as well as the Philippine Constabulary and the Bureau of Labor were included under the executive control of the Department. Of the other offices formerly under it, only the Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes and the Board of Censorship for Motion Pictures were retained. Further modifications were affected by Executive Order No. 167, issued on October 8, 1932. It transferred the review and approval of provincial and city budgets from the Secretary of Interior to the Secretary of Finance. The Philippine Commonwealth The Department continued to exist during this period with Teofilo Sison, Elpidio Quirino, Rafael Alunan and Jose C. Zulueta holding the position of Department Secretaries in succession. Significant modification also took effect. On October 20, 1936, Commonwealth Act. No. 78 was issued. It transferred from Secretary of Interior to the Secretary of Finance of the administrative supervision over the assessment of real property appropriation and other financial affairs of local political subdivisions and the offices of the provincial and city assessors. In addition, the Racing Commission was created on February 18, 1941 and placed under the supervision and control of the Department. During World War II when the Japanese Imperial Army occupied the country, the Department was abolished effective January 1, 1942 by virtue of Executive Order No. 390 issued on December 22, 1941. The Japanese Occupation Twenty days after its abolition, Jose P. Laurel, who was installed as President by the Japanese government issued Order No. 1 dated January 23, 1942 which revived the Department of Interior. He appointed Benigno Aquino, Sr. as Commissioner. It was later renamed Bureau of Local Government. Rafael Alunan headed the office with the rank of Secretary and was followed by Tomas Confessor, who again was succeeded by Alfredo Montelibano. The Philippine Republic of 1946 and the Post-War Period When the Philippine Republic was reestablished in 1946, after the liberation from the Japanese occupation, the Department of Interior was restored. President Manuel Roxas appointed Jose Zulueta as Secretary. Executive Order No. 94, series of 1947, outlined the functions of the Department. It stated that the Department shall have executive supervision over the administration of local political subdivisions except the financial affairs and financial agencies thereof, the Philippine Constabulary, the Board of Review for Moving Pictures, the Racing Commissions and the Boxing and Wrestling Commission. The Philippine constabulary, in being constituted as a national polic force, assumed all police duties, functions, authority and responsibility of the Military Police, except those of military character. In 1948, Sotero Baluyot succeeded Secretary Jose Zulueta, and held the post until 1950. In 1949, Executive Order No. 259 created a Fire Prevention Board with the Secretary of Interior as General Chairman. That same year, however the Philippine Constabulary was transferred to the Department of National Defense on account of the Hulk problem. Again, the Department was abolished in December 1950 by virtue of Executive Order No. 383, issued in pursuance of Republic Act. No. 422 which transferred the powers, duties and functions of the Secretary to the Office of the President. With its abolition, the various national agencies have to deal directly with the local governments. In the following year, the Office of Local Government within the Office of the President was established by virtue of the Appropriations Act of 1951 and was headed by Juan Ipac. Three years later, it was renamed Local Governments and Civil Affairs Office through the Appropriations Act of 1954. This time, it was managed by a technical assistant. The said position was firstly taken by Rafael Salas, secondly, by Vicente Acsay and thirdly by Gregorio Santayana. The said Office attended to all matters relating to the exercise by the President of his power of general supervision over local governments. These included local personnel affairs, local government finances and expense control, claims for gratuities and other benefits, municipal development planning and boundary disputes, scholarship, aids, and reservations for non-Christian, legislation and other miscellaneous activities, such as the issuance of certification of unregistered real properties acquired by local governments, among others. The ascendancy of Ramon Magsaysay to the presidency brought a different twist to the evolution of the of the department. His inclination towards direct governmental assistance for community and local autonomy, gave rise to the Presidential Assistance on Community Development (PACD). It was created on January 6, 1956 by Executive Order No. 156. It was headed by Ramon Binamira. The succeeding Presidents, namely, Carlos P. Garcia and Diosdado Macapagal carried on the PACD. During the first year of the Marcos Administration in 1966, PACD was renamed Presidential Arm on Community Development. It was headed by Executive Secretary Ernesto Maceda, in concurrent capacity. Meanwhile, in the same year, Flores Bayot was appointed Assistant Executive Secretary for Local Government Unit the proclamation of Martial Law in 1972, when the entire government machinery was reorganized. The Martial Law Years The DLGCD absorbed the functions of the Local Government and Civil Affairs Office, the PACD, the National Planning Commission, the Philippine National Cooperative Bank, the Presidential Cooperative Development Council and the Philippine National Volunteer Service Corps which were formerly under the Office of the President. In addition, the Cooperative Administration Office (CAO), which was formerly under the Department of Commerce and Industry, was also transferred to it. As the major agency with established field offices absorbed by the new Department, the officer and men of the defuct PACD became the backbone of the department. On June 2, 1978, PD No. 1397 was issued, renaming DLGCD as Ministry of Local Government and Community Development (MLGCD). this indicated that the form of government during this time was parliamentary. And on May 17, 1979, the administration of Cooperatives was transferred from MLGCD to the Ministry of Agriculture In 1982 when Martial Law was lifted, MLGCD was reorganized by virtue of Executive Order No. 777 dated February 28, 1982 transferring the Community Development function to the Ministry of Human Settlements (MHS). Left with only its regulatory and assistory functions over local governments, the MLGCD became the Ministry of Local Government (MLG) and was composed of the Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS), Bureau of Local Government Development (BLGD) and the National Barangay Operations Office (NBOO). The EDSA revolution of February 1986 resulted in the ascendancy of Corazon c. Aquino as President of the Philippines with a Revolutionary Government under a Freedom Constitution. On February 24, 1986, Proclamation No. 3 was issued which brought about radical changes in the National and Regional leadership of the MLG. Aquilino Pimentel, a former Mayor of Cagayan de Oro City, was installed as Minister. On December 1, 1986, Jaime Ferrer succeeded Aquilino Pimentel as MLG Minister when the latter resigned to ran a Seantor of the Republic. The Revolutionary Government ended with the ratification of the new Constitution on February 2, 1987. Shifting back to a Presidential form of Government, all agencies were renamed Departments. Jaime Ferrer served as the first DILG Secretary after the Revolutionary Government until his assasination on July 2, 1987. Thereafter the Department of Local Government had an Officer In charge in the person of Lito Monico Lorenzana who acted it that capacity up to November 1987 when Davao Congressman Luis T. Santos was appointed DLG Secretary. He immediately recommended the reinstatement of key Regional Officials who were removed during the revolutionary period. With the so called "old hands" back in harness, the community development spirit was revived. Prior to the appointment of Secretary Santos, On July 25, 1987 Executive Order No. 262 was issued. It provided for another Department reorganization. It expanded the functions of the Department to include assisting the President in the general supervision over local government, promoting local authonomy, encouraging community empowerment, and maintaining public order and safety services. Thus, it paved the way for the redefinition of the role of DILG in the overall Government set-up. Consequently, some offices in the existing Department were abolished. While others, like the Local Government Department Academy (LGA) and the Office of Project Development Services (OPDS) were created as part of the streamlining process. Finally, on December 13, 1990, President corazon Aquino approved Republic Act No. 6975 reorganizing the DLG into what it is now - the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). This last major change occured in compliance with the Constitutional provision for the establishment of "one police force which shall be national in scope and civilian in character, to be administered and controlled by a National Police Commission." It is also in response to major shifts in public policy and attitudes that increased support for devolution and decentralization of powers to local governments. Under the same law, the Fire and Jail services were detached from the National Police Force, and constituted as separate Bureaus under the Department. At the same time, the statute created a premier educational institution called the Philippine Public Safety College for the human resource development of police, fire and jail personnel. The full significance of these recent substantial changes, is the realization of the general intent to decentralize power, to expand the role of local government units towards local autonomy, and to create a basis from which the national and local governments in active partnership could speed up development efforts. Pursuant to Republic Act 6975, the department shall consist of the following bureaus, offices, and units: 1.0 DEPARTMENT PROPER 1.1 Office of the Secretary 1.2 Office of the Undersecretarties (2) 1.3 Office of the Assistant Secretaries (3) 1.4 Staff Services 1.4.1 Planning Service 1.4.2 Financial Management Service 1.4.3 Legal Service 1.4.4 electronic Data processing Service 1.4.5 Administrative Service 2.0 LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUREAUS & OFFICES 2.1 Bureau of Local Government Supervision 2.2 Bureau of Local Government Development 2.3 National Barangay Operations Office 2.4 Office of Project Development Services 2.5 Office of Public Affairs 2.6 Regional Offices and Field Offices 3.0 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACADEMY 3.1 Board of Trustees 3.2 Office of the Director 3.3 Support Staff 4.0 NATIONAL POLICE COMMISSION 4.1 Office of the Chairman 4.2 Office of the Vice-Chairman & Executive Officer 4.3 Office of the Commissioners (3) 4.4 Staff Services 4.4.1 Planning and Research Service 4.4.2 Legal Affairs Service 4.4.3 Crime Prevention and Coordination Service 4.4.4 Administrative Service 4.4.5 Inspection and Monitoring Service 4.4.6 Installations and Logictics Service 4.5 Disciplinary Appellate Board 4.5.1 National Appellate Boards 4.5.2 Regional Appellate Boards 4.6 commission's Regional Offices 5.0 PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE 5.1 Office of the Chief of the PNP 5.2 Office of the Deputy Chief for Administration 5.3 Office of the Deputy Chief for Operations 5.4 Office of the Chief of the Directorial Staff 5.5 Inspectorate Division 5.6 National Office 5.6.1 Directorial Staff 5.6.2 Services Staff 5.6.3 Special Support Units 5.6.3.1 Administrative Support Units 5.6.3.2 Operational Support Units 5.7 Regional, Provincial and District Offices 5.8 City and Municipal Stations 6.0 BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION 6.1 Office of the chief 6.2 Office of the Deputy Chief 6.3 Office of the Assistant Regional Director 6.4 Provincial and District Offices 6.5 City and Municpal Fire Stations 7.0 BUREAU OF JAIL MANAGEMENT AND PENOLOGY 7.1 Office of the chief 7.2 Office of the Deputy Chief 7.3 Office of the Assistant Regional Director 7.4 District Jails 7.5 City and Municipal Jails 8.0 PHILIPPINE PUBLIC SAFETY COLLEGE 8.1 Board of Trustees 8.2 Office of the President 8.3 Support Staff 8.4 Philippine National Police Academy 8.5 Fire Service Training Center 8.6 Philippine National Training Center 8.7 National Police College 8.8 Other Special Training Centers as may be created Under said reorganization, Luis T. Santos was retained as Secretary and held that post up to his resignation in December 1991. On December 11, 1991, President Aquino designated Undersecretary Cesar N. Sarino as Acting Secretary and later appointed him as Secretary on January 6, 1992. When Fidel V. Ramos assumed as President after winning the May 1992 presidential elections, he appointed a grandchild of a former head of this organization during the Commonwealth period, Rafael M. Alunan III, as Secretary. He replaced Sarino who was transferred to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) as President and General Manager. Alunan held the post for four (4) years and three (3) months until he was replaced by Surigao Congressman Robert Z. Barbers, on April 16 1996. Several months prior to the May 1998 National Elections, Barbers resigned to ran as Senator. Undersecretary Manuel R. Zanchez was designated by President Ramos as Officer-In-Charge and in a short while he also resigned to ran as Congressman in Antipolo. Thereafter, President Ramos appointed Cavite Governor, epimaco A.Velasco, on February 10, 1998 as Secretary. Secretary Velasco's stint in the department was short level as he resigned for health reasons, on June 18, 1998. Whereupon, Undersecretary Nelson Collantes, was designated as Officer-In-Charge by President Fidel V. Ramos and held that position up to June 30, 1998. When Joseph Ejercito Estrada was installed on July 1, 1998 as President of the Republic after a landslide victory in the May 1998 Presidnetial Elections, he took over as Secretary on a concurrent capacity. Such Presidnetial move was intended to fulfill a campaign promise of reducing criminality and improving the peace and order situation of the country by directly handling the department responsible for such concerns. Meanwhile, President Estrada appointed only one Undersecretary for the department in the person of Ronaldo V. Puno who was one of the distinguished top officials of the then DLGCD/MLG during the 1970's up to the early part of the 1980s. Undersecreatry Puno, under direct supervision and in behalf of the President, practically managed the varied operation of the department. On February 17, 1999, President Estrada relinquished his concurrent position as Secretary of the Department and appointed Undersecretary Puno as Secretary. Secretary Ronaldo V. Puno ably steered the Department up to December 7, 2000 when he was replaced by President Estrada by appointing Alfredo S. Lim, former City Mayor of Manila, as Secretary.
|
|
|
|
