Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 816)
The main mandate of the RBCO is to serve as the oversight agency for all government efforts and initiatives within the country's river basins, rationalizing and integrating all national plans, projects, and programs related to river basin management.
The RBCO is under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Section 31, Chapter 10, Title III, Book III of the Administrative Code of 1997 grants the President the continuing authority to rationalize and integrate various mandates of the Executive Branch.
1. Rationalize and integrate all national river basin projects and programs; 2. Harmonize national policies on river basin management and create enabling policies; 3. Serve as the central river basin database management agency.
The RBCO reviews and endorses approval and funding of river basin projects from the national budget, has authority to serve as an oversight office, and government agencies must coordinate their river basin initiatives with the RBCO. RBCO also sits as an ex-officio member on policy steering or project implementing boards.
Section 4 of EO No. 192 designates DENR as the primary agency responsible for natural resource conservation and management, supporting EO No. 816 which places RBCO under DENR to manage river basins.
The initial fund is Two Hundred Forty Million Pesos (P240,000,000.00) sourced from unprogrammed funds of the DENR and/or as recommended or approved by the Department of Budget and Management.
The RBCO serves as the national policy coordination office for LGUs and NGOs in river basin development and sustainability, recommending approval and funding of their initiatives supported by national government agencies.
EO No. 816 designates the RBCO as the central river basin database management agency, requiring all relevant government agencies and river basin organizations to submit updated data to RBCO for integration and consolidation.
All executive orders, rules, regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof that are inconsistent with EO No. 816 are revoked, amended, or modified accordingly.