Compliance with complete staff work standards sought

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has ordered agencies to strictly comply with the strengthened complete staff work standards issued during the Duterte administration, to ensure prompt and appropriate action on requests for presidential issuances and authorizations.

“In the exigency of the service, strict compliance with the strengthened standards of complete staff work as prescribed in Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 72 dated Nov. 15, 2019 is hereby mandated,” Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez said in Memorandum Circular No. 2 issued on June 30, the date of the inauguration of President Marcos.

He said compliance with form and substance would enable the Office of the President to adequately assess and indicate its decision on the requests.

Rodriguez said any request that fails to comply with the strengthened complete staff work requirements and standards would be set aside or returned to the proponent.

In 2019, the Duterte administration – through then executive secretary

Salvador Medialdea – issued Memorandum Circular No. 72, citing the “urgent” need to strengthen the existing complete staff work standards to effectively deliver key government programs.

Before the issuance of the memo, numerous requests for presidential issuances, authorizations and approvals were either submitted near the target date of promulgation or without the necessary staff work done by the requesting office.

The circular said all proposals to be submitted to the Office of the President should be evidence based, inclusive and holistic.

It also prescribed the requirements for a cover memorandum, namely a title, antecedent, recommendation, rationale, list of agencies to be involved in the proposal and funding requirement.

Agencies are also required to submit a printed draft of the action document or proposed issuance requested from the Office of the President, implementation plan and other documents containing relevant information.

Government entities making requests shall respond within 15 working days if asked for comments. If there is no response within the prescribed period and there is proof of receipt of request for comment, the agency or instrumentality whose comment was sought shall be considered as having interposed no objection to the proposal.