Question & AnswerQ&A (OP EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 346)
Section 31 (3), Chapter 10, Title III, Book III of the Administrative Code of 1987 authorizes the President to transfer any agency under the Office of the President to any other department or agency.
The IPO is the principal government agency tasked to oversee and implement state policies on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
The IPO was transferred to the DTI to facilitate coordination of policies and programs between IPO and DTI, as DTI is the primary coordinative, promotive, facilitative, and regulatory arm of the government in trade, industry, and investment.
Section 2 states that all orders, issuances, rules, and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with this Executive Order are repealed or modified accordingly.
Executive Order No. 346 took effect immediately upon its signing on August 9, 2004.
Executive Order No. 346 was adopted by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and signed by Executive Secretary Alberto G. Romulo.
The legal basis is the authority granted by Section 31 (3), Chapter 10, Title III, Book III of the Administrative Code of 1987, which empowers the President to transfer agencies under the Office of the President to other departments.
Attachment means that the IPO, while retaining some degree of operational independence, is placed under the administrative supervision and coordination of the Department of Trade and Industry.
By transferring the IPO to the DTI, the Executive Order improves policy coordination and integration between the government’s trade and intellectual property functions, enhancing the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.