PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, through Executive Order (EO) 62 that was signed September 17, has returned the Department of Agriculture's (DA) supervision over the National Food Authority (NFA) and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).
Duterte's EO 62 amended EO 1, which was signed in June 2016 and placed the NFA, the PCA, and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) under the control of the Office of Cabinet Secretary.
Under EO 62, the Office of the President (OP) would continue to exercise the immediate control and supervision over the HUDCC.
"The transfer of the NFA, PCA and FPA to the DA and the supervision of the HUDCC by the OP will ensure efficiency and coordination in the performance of their respective mandates, consistent with the efforts to streamline the operations of government," the EO read.
"There is a need to reorganize the NFA Council for the effective formulation and coordination of a comprehensive program for the development and promotion of efficiency and productivity in the food industry," it added.
Duterte signed the EO amid the rice crisis in the country.
In a bid to address the rising prices of rice, Duterte's latest EO reorganized the NFA Council, delegating the Agriculture secretary as the chairman and the NFA administrator as the vice chairman.
Members of the NFA Council include a representative from the OP; secretaries of Finance, Trade, and Social Welfare departments; National Economic and Development Authority director general; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor; Land Bank of the Philippines president; and a representative from the farmers' sector. (SunStar Philippines)