President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has ordered the reorganization of the Economy and Development (ED) Council and its committees, giving the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs a stronger hand in economic decision-making.
The President’s directive is contained in Administrative Order (AO) No. 37, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on August 13 and released to the public on Monday.
It seeks to ensure greater coherence in the government’s economic planning and policymaking.
The order takes effect retroactively from April 27, 2025.
AO 37 follows the passage of Republic Act 12145, or the “Economy, Planning, and Development Act,” which renamed the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) and reconstituted the NEDA Board as the ED Council.
RA 12145 authorizes the President to reorganize the ED Council and its committees whenever necessary to improve performance.
