Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 644)
The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) was created by Presidential Decree No. 112 to closely supervise and regulate the collection of toll fees for the use of certain public improvements and the operation of toll facilities by the private sector as an alternative source of financing infrastructure projects.
Section 23, Chapter 5, Title XV, Book IV of Executive Order No. 292 placed the TRB under the Department of Transportation and Communications as an attached agency.
The main purpose of the transfer is to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of government programs by realigning the assigned responsibilities with respect to attached agencies of some Departments.
Section 17, Article VII of the Philippine Constitution provides that the President shall have control of all executive departments, bureaus, and offices and shall ensure that all laws be faithfully executed.
The President's authority to transfer agencies is based on paragraph 3, Section 31, Chapter 10, Title III, Book III of Executive Order No. 292, which allows reorganizing the administrative structure of the Office of the President.
Executive Order No. 644, dated July 30, 2007, ordered the transfer of the Toll Regulatory Board to the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Executive Order No. 644 took effect immediately upon its issuance on July 30, 2007.
Yes, Section 2 of Executive Order No. 644 states that all executive orders, issuances, rules, and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Order are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
Making the TRB an attached agency of the DPWH means that the Board operates under the administrative supervision of the DPWH, which is expected to improve coordination, regulatory oversight, and implementation of toll regulatory functions.
Regulating toll fees ensures that toll facilities are operated fairly and efficiently by the private sector as an alternative source of financing, which helps in the prosecution of infrastructure projects that complement overall national development efforts.