Noy abolishes 8 more agencies under OP

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is abolishing eight more line agencies – aside from the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission – that duplicate the functions of other agencies.                                        

Malacañang has not yet released an order formally abolishing the agencies but had purposely not made allocations for these in the proposed P1.645-trillion national budget for next year.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. yesterday said the government can save P304.6 million by removing the funding for the projects of these agencies.

“Our philosophy is to streamline the ope-rations of the Office of the President so we can cut unnecessary spending and use our resour-ces where they are needed most,” Ochoa said.

These line agencies are the Mindanao Development Council, Office of the North Luzon Quadrangle Area, Office of External Affairs, Minerals Development Council, Office of the Luzon Urban Beltway Super Region, Bicol River Basin Watershed Management Project, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Global Warming and Climate Change, and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on New Government Centers. – With Jess Diaz