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Jose Rodel Clapano - The Philippine Star
April 13, 2025 | 12:00am
Facade of the National Economic Development Authority building in Pasig City.
The Philippine STAR / File photo
MANILA, Philippines — Members of the House of Representatives welcomed yesterday President Marcos’ signing of the law creating the Department of Economy, Planning and Development or DEPDev as a reorganization of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
Chairman of the House committee on government reorganization Rep. Jonathan Flores said Republic Act 12145, which provides for the reorganization of NEDA, gives the agency “new shoes, clothes” after it “outgrew the old ones.”
Flores said RA 12145 consolidated into one law all of the roles and functions the NEDA had as well as its committees and the regional development boards which had accumulated over the years.
RA 12145 also updates and upgrades some functions to make NEDA fit into its new role as the DEPDev.
“DEPDev is configured better now to play its central role in shaping economic and social policies, formulating and monitoring plans like the Philippine Development Plan, Regional Development Plans and Recovery and Resiliency Plans among others,” Flores said.
Flores said the reorganization into the DEPDev will institutionalize its expanded mandate, allowing the agency to improve coordination with other executive departments and fulfill its role as the primary planning and policy body of the government.
For his part, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda thanked Marcos for signing the new law.
“When government can think and plan long-term, it can pursue policies and projects with greater returns to the people than what is currently popular or convenient,” he said.
Salceda said one of the key reforms this introduces is the institutionalization of the Regional Development Council (RDC) system, including the mechanism for electing its chair.
“I can attest to how important the RDC is in making local plans and it needs to be more visible in the national government planning process. It also allows great ideas in local development to be pursued across the decades and through changing local administrations,” Salceda said.
Another reform is the institutionalization of NEDA’s mandate to conduct future thinking and scenario planning exercises to enable the government to better anticipate and respond to technological shifts, economic disruptions and global uncertainties.
“An office will be created in DEPDev whose only function shall be to try to predict future trends and disruptions and formulate potential government responses to these,” Salceda said.
He said the institutionalization of the planning also makes the budget process a more long-term and planning-oriented process.
“We also operationalized NEDA’s independence, in that it can provide economic advice to the President and to key decision makers in government, unimpeded,” Salceda said.
“With the enactment of laws such as the Public-Private Partnership Act and CREATE MORE, DEPDev has a stronger role in long-term national development. NEDA thus deserves to be elevated to the status of a full-fledged Cabinet agency,” he added.
