By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Malacañang announced on Tuesday (26 March 2024) a half-day work schedule for government offices on Holy Wednesday, allowing employees time to travel to their provinces before Maundy Thursday.

In a Memorandum Circular No. 45 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, it states, “To ensure that government employees have ample opportunity to observe Maundy Thursday and Good Friday on March 28-29, 2024, and to facilitate travel to and from various regions in the country, work in government offices on March 27, 2024, is hereby suspended from noon onwards.”

The circular further specifies, “However, agencies responsible for providing essential services such as basic healthcare, disaster preparedness/response, and other vital services shall continue their operations and deliver necessary services.”

The decision regarding the suspension of work in private companies and offices is left to the discretion of their respective employers.

(el Amigo/MNM)

MANILA — All current presidential appointees are undergoing a comprehensive “performance review,” as announced by Malacañang, aimed at verifying their ongoing qualifications for their designated positions.

Communication Secretary Cheloy Garafil clarified that this directive extends to all presidential appointees, including those selected by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

The statement from Garafil was issued in response to inquiries regarding a memorandum dated February 2, initiated by the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) under the directive of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

The memorandum outlines the requirement for all presidential appointees in office before February 1, 2023, to submit pertinent documents for the performance review.

According to the memorandum, individuals holding presidential appointments are mandated to submit their updated Personal Data Sheet along with clearances from the Civil Service Commission, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Sandiganbayan.

The deadline for submission to the PMS is set at 30 days from the memorandum’s issuance.

Furthermore, heads of various government entities, including departments, agencies, offices, instrumentalities, government-owned or -controlled corporations, government financial institutions, and state universities and colleges, are instructed to ensure compliance by all presidential appointees within their respective domains.

(By el Amigo/MNM)

MANILA – Malacañang has officially released a directive for the dissolution of the North Luzon Railways Corp. (NorthRail).

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, under the authority of the President, signed Memorandum Order (MO) 17 on October 19, following an evaluation by the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations (GCG).

MO 17, which was made public on Saturday, outlines that the GCG determined NorthRail to be ineffective, no longer aligned with its original objectives, cost-inefficient, and failing to deliver anticipated social, physical, and economic benefits in proportion to the resources invested.

“The GCG has determined that NorthRail has met the criteria for dissolution as outlined in Section 5(a) of Republic Act No. 10149, known as the GOCC Governance Act of 2011,” the memorandum stated.

The Board of Directors of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has been appointed to oversee the dissolution process and handle NorthRail’s outstanding obligations. This includes providing separation incentives to affected personnel, developing a Change Management Plan for stakeholders impacted by the decision, and conducting a comprehensive review of all pending legal cases involving the now-abolished corporation.

The expenses for separation incentives will be covered by NorthRail’s available corporate funds, in accordance with established budgeting, accounting, and auditing regulations.

Additionally, the BCDA is entrusted with managing the liquidation of NorthRail’s assets and facilitating the winding-up of its corporate affairs. They are responsible for compiling a complete inventory of assets and liabilities and submitting the original corporate financial records to the Commission on Audit.

The BCDA is also tasked with determining which of NorthRail’s existing programs and projects should either be terminated or transferred to relevant government agencies, following existing laws and regulations.

The GCG has been given the responsibility to oversee the execution of MO 17, while the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will work closely with the BCDA to ensure NorthRail’s dissolution aligns with the provisions of Republic Act 11232, also known as the Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines.

The Department of Transportation, in its capacity as the overseeing agency for NorthRail, will continue to supervise the liquidation and winding-up procedures of the defunct corporation.

The Office of the Government Corporate Counsel will extend the necessary legal support to the BCDA in relation to NorthRail’s dissolution and winding-up procedures.

NorthRail, initially established as a fully-owned subsidiary of the BCDA on July 31, 1995, had the primary mission of developing, constructing, operating, and managing a railroad system serving Metro Manila, Central, and Northern Luzon.

On May 20, 2019, the GCG issued MO 2019-05, initiating the deactivation of NorthRail.

MO 17 takes immediate effect. (ai/mnm)