Palace extends term of agency OICs up to Dec. 31

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his first State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 25, 2022, at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City. Screengrab from RTVM

President Marcos has extended the terms of the current officers in charge (OICs) of government agencies and departments until Dec. 31 or until a replacement has been appointed.

By presidential authority, Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez issued a directive through Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 3 allowing OICs to stay for about five more months “to ensure the continuous and effective delivery of government services.”

Signed on July 27, the memo amended and supplemented MC No. 1, which initially extended the tenure of OICs only up to July 31.

The new directive will also prolong the tenure of all contractual and casual employees from their positions until the end of the year.

“All OICs of departments, agencies, bureau and office, noncareer executive service (CES) officials occupying CES positions and contractual or casual employees covered herein shall continue to perform their duties and discharge their functions until 31 December 2022 or until a replacement has been appointed or designated, whichever comes first,” the order said.

All officials and employees covered by the latest memorandum will be required to submit bimonthly performance reports to their respective heads.

What they can’t do

But the retained OICs, from the department level down to the sub-agencies or bureaus, may not enter into new contracts or projects or disburse extraordinary funds—except for those involved in the food, transportation, and energy sectors.

Also covered by this ban on new contracts are government-owned and -controlled corporations, government instrumentalities with corporate powers, government corporate entities, and government financial institutions. The prohibition remains in effect until the appointment of new directors and the election of chief executive officers.

The order also applies to free port and special economic zone administrators.

Vergeire, Solidum

Among the top-level OICs whose term will be extended are Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire of the Department of Health, Undersecretary Renato Solidum Jr. of the Department of Science and Technology, and Dr. Melissa Aradanas of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman earlier said the practice of hiring consultants and contractuals in government would soon end under the “rightsizing” bill to be proposed to the 19th Congress by the Marcos administration’s economic team.

Pangandaman earlier estimated that removing even just 5 percent of redundant offices and positions would save the government about P14.8 billion.

gsg