Renaming and Expanding National Competitiveness Council

Executive Order No. 571 (s. 2006) created the Public-Private Sector Task Force on Philippine Competitiveness, which is renamed as the NCC under Section 1.
The President exercises authority to re-organize the administrative structure of the Office of the President, as reflected in the recitals.

The NCC is mandated to promote and develop national competitiveness strategies and push for implementation of the Action Agenda for Competitiveness (the Action Agenda) (Section 2).
The NCC must link the Action Agenda to the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) (Section 2).
The NCC must act as the primary body to strategize and execute steps to improve the country’s international competitiveness ranking (Section 4(i)).
The NCC is tasked to push for implementation of the Action Agenda while aligning competitiveness efforts with national planning (Sections 2 and 4(c)).

The NCC covers competitiveness efforts for the industry, services, and agricultural sectors (Section 4(a)).
The NCC is composed of the following members (Section 3):
- Secretary of Trade and Industry—Chairperson
- Private Sector Representative—Co-Chairperson
- Secretary of Finance
- Secretary of Energy
- Secretary of Tourism
- Secretary of Education
- Director General, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)
- Five (5) Private Sector Representatives
The Co-Chairperson is appointed by the President for a term of two (2) years and may be reappointed for another term (Section 3).
The five (5) Private Sector Representatives are also appointed by the President (Section 3).
The NCC must meet once every two (2) months, or whenever the Chairperson shall convene the same (Section 3).

The NCC serves as the primary collection point of investor issues that need addressing to improve international competitiveness in industry, services, and agricultural sectors (Section 4(a)).
The NCC must advise the President on policy matters affecting the competitiveness of the business sector (Section 4(b)).
The NCC must provide inputs to the PDP, Philippine Investments Priority Plan (PIPP), and Philippine Exports Priority Plan (PEPP) (Section 4(c)).
The NCC must coordinate, monitor, and ensure the implementation of key policy improvement processes closely associated with international competitiveness (Section 4(d)).
The NCC must recommend to Congress, through the Economic Development Cluster, proposed legislations that may contribute to competitiveness (Section 4(e)).
The NCC must coordinate with Local Government Units (LGUs), through local government leagues, to ensure that LGU policies, standards, plans, and budgets are supportive of the Action Agenda (Section 4(f)).
The NCC must coordinate with concerned agencies for the generation of resources—both governmental and non-governmental, and local, national, and international—in support of the Action Agenda (Section 4(g)).
The NCC must perform other powers and functions as may be necessary or assigned by the President (Section 4(i)).

The Department of Trade and Industry—Center for Industrial Competitiveness (DTI-CIC) serves as the NCC Secretariat (Section 5).
The Secretariat is headed by the Executive Director and supported by a private sector staff headed by an Operations Director (Section 5).
The NCC must regularly coordinate with industry/trade associations and local and foreign chambers of commerce to ensure the competitiveness of Philippine industries (Section 6).
Industry/trade associations and chambers may be invited by the NCC as resource institutions to carry out the NCC mandate (Section 6).

The Executive Order allocates Five Million Pesos (Php 5,000,000.00) from the Contingent Fund of the Office of the President (OP) for the NCC’s operating expenses (Section 7).
Thereafter, the annual budget of NCC is incorporated into the regular budget of the DTI, subject to existing accounting and auditing laws and procedures (Section 7).
The private sector must provide funding for its own activities (Section 7).

Separability applies: if any part of the Executive Order is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions remain in full force and effect (Section 8).
Repealing clause applies: all other issuances or parts inconsistent with the Executive Order are repealed or amended accordingly (Section 9).