Joker Paz Arroyo is a Filipino politician and key figure in the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution which

ousted the late strongman President Ferdinand Marcos. Currently a member of the Philippine Senate, he is set to conclude his twelve years of incumbency in the Upper House of the Philippine Congress on 30 June 2013.

Catalino Tiacho Macaraig, Jr. (November 5, 1927 - November 16, 2003) capped three decades of a life of public service and integrity as the longest-serving (from September 17, 1987 to December 14, 1990) Executive Secretary of President Corazon C. Aquino. Return to government[edit] In 1986, the EDSA Revolution began, resulting in Ferdinand Marcos being deposed and replaced by Corazon C. Aquino as President of the republic. By March 1987, President Aquino had drafted Macaraig into her cabinet as Deputy Executive Secretary. Macaraig had been highly recommended by Aquinos first Executive Secretary, Joker Arroyo.
[8]

In September 1987, President Aquino reorganized her Cabinet after a coup attempt against her administration. She replaced Joker Arroyo with Macaraig as Executive Secretary.
[9]

In Philippine government, the position of Executive Secretary is the most important office under the Chief Executive and is considered a department in itself. The Executive Secretaryoften referred to as the "Little President"handles the official relations of the President with all other department and instrumentalities of the government. He holds a very vital position. He is often called upon to represent the person of the president in official acts and ceremonies. He also acts as the head of the bureaus and offices not under any departments of the government and placed under the supervision of the Office of the President.
[10]

Macaraig was President Aquinos longest-serving among her five Executive Secretaries during her sixyear term.
[11]

In his over three years as Executive Secretary, Macaraig was regarded as one of Aqui nos
[12][13][14][15]

Cabinet secretaries who diligently and with integrity fulfilled their duties to the office, the president, and the country, such that he was considered by some people to be a national hero.

Despite concurrently holding top posts in the countrys biggest corporations at one time or another (among these, he was Chairman of Philippine National Oil Company,Philippine Airlines and Philippine National Bank), Macaraig never took advantage of his positions for personal gain Oscar M. Orbos, popularly known as Ka Oca, is a Philippine TV personality and host of GMA Network's Debate with Mare at Pare.

Orbos was a former cabinet secretary, provincial governor, and vice presidential candidate. He is now a practicing lawyer and broadcaster. In 1987, Orbos ran and won as congressman and represented the first district of Pangasinan from November 1987 to December 1989. He was cited as one of the most active congressman in the 8th Philippine Congress. He was cited as one of the 1989 Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) for Public Service and legislation. On January 4, 1990, President Corazon Aquino appointed him as secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications. As secretary, one of the most notable contributions was the yellow lane, where the two outermost lanes of 4-6 lane roads were allotted for public utility vehicles, mostly buses. He also facilitated the approval of cellular broadcast. This made it possible for company's to offer a new form of communication more popularly known as "cellular phones". On December 21, 1990, Orbos was appointed by Aquino as her executive secretary. During that time, Iraq already occupied Kuwait and it had plans to make further attacks onSaudi Arabia. Orbos facilitated measures for the repatriation and communication to overseas Filipino workers working in the Middle East. He resigned on July 1991 and returned to private life. He co-hosted GMA Network's Firing Line, a TV panel talk show with Teodoro Benigno, Mrs. Aquino's former press secretary. During the 1992 elections, he actively supported fellow Pangasinense Fidel Ramos to the presidency. In 1995, he resigned as host of the TV program and ran for the position of Governor of Pangasinan. He won the election via landslide. As governor, he initiated the establishment of a Provincial Action Center to provide public direct access to all provincial and national government offices to respond to needs of his constituency. Orbos gained the highest public approval rating as governor. Even if he was predicted to win a reelection as governor, he ran in the 1998 elections for the position of Vice President as a running mate of Renato de Villa. However, he lost to Senator Gloria MacapagalArroyo.

Franklin Magtunao Drilon (born November 28, 1945) is a Filipino politician who served as President of the Senate of the Philippines in 2000 and from 2001 to 2006. Drilon currently serves his third term in the Senate. He is also the Chairman of theLiberal Party and a Senior Counsel of the ACCRA Law Offices Conrado F. Estrella, Sr. (August 18, 1917 May 31, 2011) was a Filipino politician. He served as the Governor of Pangasinanfrom 1954 to 1963 and Minister of the Department of Agrarian Reform from 1978 to 1986.
[1][2] [1]

He began his political career as the Mayor of Rosales, Pangasinan.

Estrella was elected as a Congressman to the Batasang Pambansa from 1978 to 1986.
[1] [2]

[1]

He served as

the last Minister of theDepartment of Agrarian Reform under former President Ferdinand Marcos from 1978 until Marcos' ouster in 1986. Marcos and Estrella were political allies.

Estrella's last public appearance was on January 10, 2011, in Pangasinan for the 66th anniversary of the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf.
[1][2]

Conrado Estrella died in his sleep at his home in Villa Verde, Pasig City, at the age of 93. the next morning on May 31, 2011. no other major illnesses.
[2] [1]

[1]

He was found

He had undergone open heart surgery several years prior, but had
[2]

Estrella was the grandfather of Abono Rep. Robert Raymond Estrella and

former Pangasinan Rep. Conrado Estrella III.

Heherson "Sonny" T. Alvarez is a politician from the Philippines. He has served as a member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines and the Senate of the Philippines. He also was Secretary of Agrarian Reform, and Minister of Agrarian Reform. Miriam Defensor Santiago (born June 15, 1945) is a Judge-elect of the International Criminal Court and a member of theSenate of the Philippines. She is a lawyer, former trial judge, and lecturer on constitutional and international law. She served as the Commissioner of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration and Deportation in 1988 and the Secretary of the Philippines'Department of Agrarian Reform from 1989 to 1991. She is the founder and current leader of the center-right People's Reform [1] Party formerly allied with former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the 2004 elections, and is a [2][3] recipient of Asian Nobel Prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, for government service given by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, and was cited "for bold and moral leadership in cleaning up a graft-ridden government agency" during her tenure as the head of the Bureau of Immigration and [4] Deportation. Florencio "Butch" Barsana Abad is a Filipino lawyer and politician. Having held many cabinet-level ranks in the past, he is the current Secretary of the Philippine Department of Budget and [1] Management. Abad held various cabinet-level positions in the past, particularly as Secretary of the Department of Education and Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform. Ramon "Monching" Villarosa Mitra, Jr. (February 4, 1928 March 20, 2000), was a prominent Filipino statesman, diplomat, and a renowned pro-democracy activist. Mitra was born inside the Iwahig Penal Colony in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan to Ramon P. Mitra y Mario and Purification Villarosa. He attended public school for elementary education and took his secondary education in San Beda College, Manila. He finished his Liberal Arts degree in Baguio City and obtained his Bachelor of Laws in San Beda. Mitra was appointed as a Philippine Foreign Service Officer in Washington, D.C. and at the United Nations from 1954 to 1961; in 1961 he was appointed as special assistant to the Office of President Quirino. He then became a senior technical assistant to the Office of the Mayor Villegas of Manila from 1962 up to 1965.

Alberto Gatmaitan Rmulo (born August 7, 1933) is a politician in the Philippines. He served as Foreign Secretary before and during the beginning of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III. Rmulo was born in Camiling, Tarlac from Pangasinan parents.
[2] [1]

He was then elected as member of

the Regular Batasang Pambansa representing Quezon City in 1984. He then joined government service as the Minister of the Budget of PresidentCorazon Aquino. He was a senator from 1987 to 1998, during which time he served as Majority Leader for five years.
[3]

He became Finance Secretary in January 2001, having been appointed when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took office and formed her own cabinet. He left this position in May 2001; Romulo was later appointed as an Executive Secretary. Secretary,
[4] [4]

On August 18, 2004, he was appointed Foreign

[5] [

and which he would hold until February 25, 2011.

He served as Chairman of

the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN in 2007.

Ernesto M. Maceda is a columnist and a Filipino politician who served as a Senator from 1971 to 1972 and again from 1987 to 1998. He served as Senate President from 1996 to 1998. Jaime Ongpin (19381987) was Minister of Finance of the Philippines under President Cory Aquino, appointed in 1986 after having played an instrumental role in her campaign. He died on December 7, 1987 at age 49 of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot. This happened soon after having been dismissed from the government on September 14, in a cabinet reorganization that followed a coup attempt. Ongpin was the younger brother of Roberto Ongpin who had been Minister of Trade and Industry under President Ferdinand Marcos. Ongpin was a 1958 graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University and from Harvard Business School in 1962. He had been advertising manager of the Philippine subsidiary of Procter & Gamble. In 1962, he joined the Benguet Corporation, one of the country's leading gold mining companies. In 1974, he became company president.

Salvador Roman Hidalgo Laurel (November 18, 1928 January 27, 2004), also known as Doy Laurel, was Vice-President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 under Corazon Aquino, and briefly Aquino's only Prime Minister from February 25March 25, 1986. He was a foremost leader of the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO), the political Aquilino "Nene" Quilinging Pimentel, Jr. (born December 11, 1933) is a Filipino politician who served as the President of the Senate of the Philippines from 2000-2001. Born into a political family in Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao, Pimentel rose to national prominence as an [citation needed] elected delegate to theConstitutional Convention of 1971, representing Misamis Oriental. The

[2]

nature of the Constitutional Convention changed when then President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972. Pimentel and a few like-minded delegates feared the Constitutional [citation Convention would produce a Marcos-scripted Constitution and were vocal in their opposition. needed] [citation needed] Pimentel also protested certain provisions as being contrary to the people's interest. In the subsequent roundup of those who opposed Marcos, he was arrested in early 1973 and jailed for three months at Camp Crame. Pimentel, who had a young family, bade his wife Bing "Be brave. Dont cry," and [citation needed] submitted to the incarceration. He was released from prison in time for the signing of the Constitution. Along with a few other delegates, Pimentel refused to sign the Constitution. Oscar M. Orbos, popularly known as Ka Oca, is a Philippine TV personality and host of GMA Network's Debate with Mare at Pare. Orbos was a former cabinet secretary, provincial governor, and vice presidential candidate. He is now a practicing lawyer and broadcaster.

Teofisto Tayko Guingona, Jr. (born July 4, 1928 in San Juan, Rizal) is a Filipino politician who served as the Vice President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2004, during the first term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Salvador H. Escudero III (December 18, 1942 August 13, 2012) was a Filipino politician. He was Minister of Food and Agriculture from 1984 to 1986; and Secretary of Agriculture from 1996 to 1998. He was a Member of the House of Representatives from 1984 to 1998; and from 2007 up until his death in 2012. His son is sitting senator Francis Escudero. Emilia Tabalanza Boncodin (May 25, 1954 March 15, 2010) was a Filipino accountant, professor, and public servant. She was the Secretary of the Philippine Department of Budget and Management under the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. She also served as a professor at the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG) until her death in 2010. Boncodin was a member of the Hyatt 10, a group of Cabinet officials who quit their posts in 2005 during the height of the "Hello, Garci" scandal then rocking the Arroyo administration.

Juan Martin Flavier (born June 23, 1935) is a former politician from the Philippines. He was a former Secretary of theDepartment of Health and a senator. He was born in Tondo, Manila eventually moving to Baguio City where he finished his secondary studies at the Baguio City High School. He is trained as a Medical Doctor and received his degree in Medicine from the prestigious University of the Philippines College of Medicine, UP Manila in 1960 and Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in 1969.

Work history[edit] Prior to his appointment as the Secretary of the Department of Health, he went to serve the barrio people of Nueva Ecija and Cavite. Flavier became president of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement in 1967. From 1978 to 1992 he was President of the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction. In 1992, he was appointed by President Ramos to become Secretary of the Department of Health. He initiated various health programs such as Oplan Alis Disease, Kontra Kolera, Stop TB, Araw ng Sangkap Pinoy, Family Planning and Doctor to the Barrios Program. He served as Secretary of the Department of Health until 1995. In 1995, he ran for senator under the administration ticket. He was reelected as senator in the 2001 elections, placing 2nd among the 12 winning candidates. In the senate, he has authored and sponsored landmark legislations such as the Traditional Medicine Law, the Poverty Alleviation Law, Clean Air Act, Indigenous People's Rights Act, Anti-money Laundering Act of 2001, Barangay Micro-Business Enterprise, National Service Training Program for Tertiary Students of 2002, Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, Plant Variety Protection Act, Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 and the recently enacted Tobacco Regulation Act. He is the author of the book entitled Doctor to the Barrios, wherein he narrates his experiences while working with and for the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement. He is formerly a resident host of Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko of

Renato "Rene" de Villa (born July 20, 1935) is a political figure in the Philippines and founder of the rightist political partyPartido ng Demokratikong Reporma-Lapiang Manggagawa. Maj. Gen. Fortunato Abat (Ret.) served as the 20th Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND), Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, and Commanding General of the Philippine Army. Jose "Ping" de Jesus is a former Philippine Secretary of Transportation and Communications. June 29, 2010, PresidentBenigno Aquino III picked him as his Secretary of Transportation and Communications. Background[edit] Before being appointed by Benigno Aquino III to the Transportation and Communications secretary post, De Jesus is the president and chief operating officer of Meralco Corporation. He has previously served as the Public Works secretary in the Cabinet of Noynoys mother, former president Corazon Aquino, and
[2] [1]

On

during the time of ex-president Fidel V. Ramos. He also served as the former president of Manila North Tollways Corporation in 2005.

Edgardo Javier Angara (born September 24, 1934) is a Filipino politician who served as President of the Senate of the Philippines from 1993 to 1995. He was a Senator from 1987 to 1998 and then served as Secretary of Agriculture from 1999 to 2001. He has served in the Senate again since 2001. Benjamin Diokno (born March 31, 1948) was Secretary of Budget and Management of the Philippines in the administration ofPresident Joseph Estrada, from July 1998 until Estrada's ouster in January 2001.
[1][2]

Diokno also served as Undersecretary for Budget Operations at the Department of Budget and
[3]

Management, from 1986-1991, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino.

During the Aquino administration, Diokno provided technical assistance to several major reforms such as the design of the 1986 Tax Reform Program,
[4]

which simplified income tax and introduced the value-

added tax (VAT), and the 1991 Local Government Code of the Philippines Manuel "Mar" Araneta Roxas II (born May 13, 1957) is a former Senator of the Philippines. He is the son of former SenatorGerry Roxas, and the grandson of former President Manuel Roxas and industrialist J. Amado Araneta. A graduate of the Wharton School of Economics, Roxas worked as an investment banker, mobilizing venture capital funds forsmall and medium enterprises.
[1]

He served as the Representative of the 1st

[2]

District of Capiz from 1993 to 2000. His stint as Congressman was cut short after he was appointed by President Joseph Estrada as Secretary of Trade and Industry.
[3]

He resigned from the position at the

height of the EDSA Revolution of 2001 and was later re-appointed by President Gloria MacapagalArroyo in her new Cabinet. election.
[4]

He resigned again to run for a Senate seat in the 2004 Philippine

He was elected as Senator with 19 million votes and the highest ever garnered by a national

candidate in any Philippine election and co-author of Expanded Value Added Tax Law (E-Vat).

Gemma Teresa Cruz Araneta is the first Philippine delegate to win the Miss International title in the pageant's fifth edition inLong Beach, California in 1964. She is the first Southeast Asian and Filipina to win an international beauty pageant title. Araneta received an "Outstanding Manilea" and a "Golden Heart" Presidential decoration from President Diosdado Macapagal .

Orlando Mercado Rodrguez (born November 7, 1961) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers,Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, and Montreal Expos. From 2003 to 2010, he was the bullpen coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. After the 2010 season, Mercado moved to the position of roving catching instructor for the Angels. Mercado became a local star for his play in the Portland Beavers Triple-A franchise in 1989.
needed] [citation

He was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame on May 22, 2004 in a

pregame on-field ceremony atAngel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. Mercado currently serves as a catching coordinator with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Ronaldo V. Puno (born April 25, 1948) is a campaign manager in Philippine politics. He supported the presidential bids of eventual winners Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Estrada, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He was a former interior secretary of the Philippines, and was a representative in Congress. He is also the leader of Kampi, the chief administration party of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

President Arroyo's Cabinet members are: 1. Hon. ALBERTO G. ROMULO Secretary - Department of Foreign Affairs 2. Hon. EDUARDO R. ERMITA Office of the Executive Secretary 3. Hon. JESUS G. DUREZA Office of the Press Secretary 4. Hon. DATU NASSER C. PANGANDAMAN, AL HAJ Secretary - Department of Agrarian Reform 5. Hon. ARTHUR C. YAP Secretary - Department of Agriculture 6. Hon. ROLANDO G. ANDAYA Secretary - Department of BUdget and Management 7. Hon. Jesli A. Lapus Secretary - Department of Education 8. Hon. ANGELO REYES Secretary - Department of Energy 9. Hon. JOSE LIVIOKO ATIENZA JR Secreatry - Department of Environment and Natural Resources 10. Hon. MARGARITO B. TEVES Secretary - Department of Finance 11. Hon. FRANCISCO T. DUQUE III Secretary - Department of Health 12. Hon. RONALDO V. PUNO Secretary - Department of Interior and Local Government 13. Hon. RAUL M. GONZALES Secretary - Department of Justice 14. Hon. MARIANITO D. ROQUE Secretary - Department of Labor and Employment 15. Hon. GILBERTO C. TEODORO, JR. Secretary - Department of National Defense 16. Hon. HERMOGENES E. EBDANE, JR. Secretary - Department of Public Works and Highways

17. Hon. ESTRELLA FAGELA ALABASTRO Secretary - Department of Science and Technology 18. Hon. ESPERANZA CABRAL Secretary - Department of Social Welfare and Development 19. Hon. JOSEPH "ACE" H. DURANO Secretary - Department of Tourism 20. Hon. PETER B. FAVILA Secretary - Department of Trade and Industry 21. Hon. Leandro R. Mendoza Secretary - Department of Transportation and Communications 22. Hon. RALPH G. RECTO Director-General - National Economic Development Authority 23. Hon. Cerge M. Remonde Secretary - Presidential Management Staff 24. Hon. SILVESTRE H. BELLO III Office of the Cabinet Secretary

Jun Lozada Rodolfo Noel Lozada, Jr. is the former CEO of the Philippine Forest Corporation and former technical consultant to former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri on the national broadband project. He is the famous whistleblower who implicated COMELEC chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, among other officials, in the anomalous NBN-ZTE broadband deal. Despite his participation as a star witness in a House investigation on the anomalous transaction, he was nonetheless implicated in the deal. Romulo Neri Then Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman Romulo Neri was named the new president of the Social Security System. Previously, he had served as the Director General of the National Economic Development Authority and as Director-General of the Congressional Planning and Budget Office of the House of Representatives, among other government postings. When called to testify at a Senate hearing on September 26, 2007, he disclosed that then COMELEC Chairman Abalos had attempted to bribe him into accepting the ZTE-NBN deal, and informed President Arroyo about it. A known administration ally, Neri joined other Malacaang officials in supporting President Arroyo, despite her administrations immense unpopularity. Angelo Reyes

Retired General Angelo Reyes is one of the most widely circulated appointed officials under the Arroyo administration. He once held the plum position of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Barely two days after his retirement, he became the Secretary of National Defense and chaired the National Disaster Coordinating Council. After stepping down from this post, he was named Anti-Kidnapping Presidential Adviser. Barely five months after NAKTF, he was appointed as the Presidential Adviser on Anti-Smuggling; later he headed the National Anti-Smuggling Task Force (NASTF) as Chief, and is making headway in the fight against smuggling, proving further his mettle and grit in putting an end to the ills that beset the nation. At present, he is the secretary of the Department of Energy. Francisco Duque III Francisco Duque III was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Health, while serving as PHIC President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Among the programs he headed is PhilHealth's Plan 500/GMA Indigent Program. Secretary Duques name became a household figure in the Philippines in relation to his office, especially when the country was embroiled in the recent swine flu epidemic. It is speculated that he is being touted by President Arroyo to become the new Chairman of the Civil Service Commission. Lito Atienza Known as one of President Arroyos loyal supporters, former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza was appointed as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, much to the consternation of environmentalists, who dubbed him the butcher of Arroceros forest park in Manila. Ronaldo Puno Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo V. Puno was elected Representative of the First District of Antipolo City last May 2004. He is the President of Kampithe administration party of Arroyo. From being overlooked as Vice-President to Gilbert Teodoro in favor of popular actor Edu Manzano despite Punos 22 years in government service, Secretary Punos moves are being closely monitored today as he took over the supervision of the ARMM following the bloody Maguindanao Massacre. Raul Gonzalez Former Department of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez began his political career in 1995 when he won the lone congressional seat of Iloilo City in 1995. Before this post, he had served in a variety of government posts in previous administrations. The former Justice Secretary is known for making caustic remarks in defense of the Arroyo administration, ranging from telling church officials critical of the administration to get a tongue transplant to telling people to ignore UN special rapporteur Alstons poor rating of the countrys efforts on the eradication of extrajudicial killings. Bayani Fernando

Bayani Fernando is the controversial Chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority. He served as the Mayor of Marikina for three terms and is credited for making Marikina the progressive city that it is today. He also served as the Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways. At present, he is running as Vice President in the 2010 elections, in tandem with former SBMA Chairman Dick Gordon as President. Arthur Yap Secretary Arthur Cua Yap was appointed as the 32nd Secretary of the Department of Agriculture on October 18, 2005. First serving with the Philippine International Trading Corporation of the DTI in 2001, he became the Administrator of the National Food Authority, and was appointed Presidential Adviser for Job Creation. He is one of the youngest Cabinet members in the Arroyo administration, and probably one of the most hated figures among rice speculators for importing and selling NFA rice to lower and middle class consumers, depriving rice speculators of expected profit. It has also been alleged that under him, higher priced substandard fertilizers from China are being sold to farmers, without having resolved the issue on the fertilizer scam that rocked the department. Gilberto Teodoro

Administration standard-bearer and 2010 Presidential aspirant Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. was appointed as the Secretary of National Defense, following his service as a legislator of the lower house. A lawyer by profession, he worked with the EP Mendoza Law firm after topping the Philippine Bar exams. He is a controversial figure these days as head of the NDCC, which is responsible for spearheading the criticized slow and inefficient government relief and rescue operations for typhoon victims, especially Ondoy and Pepeng. The nation is also keeping a close eye on him as Secretary of Defense following the Maguindanao Massacre.

A brief history of the office of the Cabinet Secretary The position of Cabinet Secretary has its origins in the War Cabinet of the Commonwealth governmentin-exile, when Col. Manuel Nieto was appointed Secretary to the Cabinet by President Manuel L. Quezon in Asheville, NC, with right to discuss and vote on matters taken up and decided by the Cabinet on May 19, 1944. On May 20, 1944, President Quezon also delegated the power to sign official papers on his behalf to Col. Nieto. As shown by a telegram from Vice President Osmea to President Quezon dated June 10, 1944, the position of the Secretary to the Cabinet primarily focused on policy matters. Sec. Nieto was entrusted with communicating the chief executives instructions to the Cabinet and handling communications from the Cabinet to the President for his consideration and approval. Administrative matters affecting the bureaucracy, such as it was during wartime, remained in the hands of Dr. Arturo B. Rotor, the Secretary to the President (the position now known as Executive Secretary) who prepared and authenticated legal documents and performed administrative functions. In the announcement of his new War Cabinet on August 1, 1944, when he assumed office, President Osmea did not designate anyone Secretary to the Cabinet: instead, he appointed Nieto as Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce. President Osmeas Executive Order 15-W, dated August 8, 1944, which further reorganized and consolidated the departments of the Commonwealth government-in-exile, did not include the position of Secretary to the Cabinet. The further reorganization of the government after it was reestablished on Philippine soil (Executive Order No. 27, dated February 27, 1945), made no mention of the position of Secretary to the Cabinet, either. The return of the government to the Philippines once more put the larger bureaucracy at the disposal of the chief executive.

It would not be until the administration of President Carlos P. Garcia that an office specifically tasked with coordinating with the cabinet was once more established. Instead of a cabinet position, however, what was established was a Cabinet Secretariat. This was accomplished by means of President Garcia issuing Memorandum Order No. 1 on January 7, 1958, which aimed to describe and streamline the functions of agencies attached to the Executive Office. In the MO (itself a form of executive issuance first used by President Garcia), the Cabinet Secretariat was made an attached agency of the Executive Office, headed by the Executive Secretary. Its duties were: Prepare the Cabinet Agenda; Prepare and gather papers for Cabinet action; Prepare and keep up-to-date minutes of Cabinet Action Keep records of decisions and actions made by the cabinet Certify Cabinet action to proper parties Provide Secretariat services for the Council of State and other advisory bodies to the President Provide a catalog of Cabinet actions and decisions for immediate access of the Cabinet While the head of the Cabinet Secretariat was the Secretary to the Cabinet, the position was not one bearing cabinet rank: it was akin to the older personal staff of Presidentsthe Appointments Secretary, the Social Secretary, etc.who undertook secretarial functions but who did not have cabinet rank. This practice continued throughout martial law (announced on September 23, 1972 and accompanied by a reorganization of the executive department), and beyond the abolition of the position of Executive Secretary in 1975, until the establishment of the Fourth Republic and the change of the form of government from Presidential to a Pseudo-Parliamentary system. It was at this time, when President Ferdinand E. Marcos relinquished being concurrent President and Prime Minister (he fused the two positions under himself in 1978), that some functions of the Office of the President were transferred to the newly created separate Office of the Prime Minister. On July 29, 1981, with the issuance of Executive Order No. 708, s. 1981, the Cabinet Secretariat was transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister. The EO reorganized the Office of the President and created the Office of the Prime Minister, effectively enabling Article IX of the 1973 Constitution as amended that year. Despite the physical transfer of the Cabinet Secretariat, its duties and mandate remained the same. After the EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986, President Corazon C. Aquino, by virtue of her revolutionary powers, which gave her executive issuances the force of law, reverted the form of government back to the presidential system. Among the provisions of Proclamation No. 3, dated March 25, 1986 (the Freedom Constitution) was the dissolving of the Office of the Prime Minister. Most of its functions were returned to the Office of the President. The Cabinet Secretariat, however, continued to function as such, even without an official issuance pertaining to its mandate. It was not until December 22, 1986, that the Cabinet Secretariat was formally recreated. Administrative Order no. 25, s. 1987 was the first issuance specifically stipulating the mandate of the Cabinet Secretariat. Here the Cabinet Secretary was in charge of coordinating with the members of the Presidential Committee on Public Ethics and Accountability. President Corazon C. Aquino subsequently issued Memorandum Order no. 96, s. 1987, which aimed to streamline the functions of her cabinet and designated the Secretary to the Cabinet to preside over the meetings of the Cabinet Assistance System (CAS). The CAS was devised by then Deputy Executive Secretary Fulgencio Factoran Jr. to iron out interdepartmental problems. The Office of the Cabinet Secretary was officially created anew by Executive Order No. 237, s. 1987. In the EO, the head of the Cabinet Secretariat was given the title Cabinet Secretary and cabinet rank. The office was streamlined and its staffing pattern and mandate spelled out. Its main mandate was to provide technical support to the Cabinet, primary advisory counsel to the President, as well as the following: Assist in providing timely and organized information to the Cabinet on issues and problems submitted for decision and action;

Provide conference and administrative support services to the Cabinet, the Cabinet Clusters, the Cabinet Assistance System and other committees created by the Cabinet; Conduct technical research and special studies on specific policy issues; Maintain an efficient records-management system, including a Cabinet Archives and a library; Certify Cabinet resolutions that indicate agreements and actions reached during Cabinet meetings; Exercise such other functions and powers as may be provided by law or as directed by the President The Aquino Management of the Presidency, an end-of-term report published by the Presidential Management Staff in 1992, goes into detail describing the functions and operations of the Cabinet Secretariat. It is useful to review this description at length to understand the functions of the office as it was created, because it provides an insight into the role expected of the office 20 years later, as mandated by E.O. 99 s. 2012. The report states, headed by a Cabinet Secretary, was the support body concerned with all Cabinet needsfrom agenda setting to materials preparation and/or collation, records keeping, information dissemination of Cabinet decisions and actions to concerned departments/agencies/entities, interdepartmental coordination on the implementation of executive actions and decisions, and all other functions and powers as directed by the President. The Cabinet Secretariat also served about 16 permanent committees in addition to a number of ad hoc committees and interagency working groups. In order to adequately respond to the demands of these functions, three major units were created: the Technical Affairs Staff, the Conference Affairs Staff, and the Administrative Support Staff. In view of all its duties and responsibilities, the Cabinet Secretariat, therefore, was the support body most closely involved in the Cabinet Consultation Process. The Cabinet Consultation Process as well as the various systems instituted in support of it by the then Cabinet Secretariat could well be said to be the main factor why there was stability in executive department operations despite the numerous Cabinet changes in the Aquino administration. The dynamic impetus for governmental reforms was sustained because systems and procedures had been well laid out. The Cabinet Secretariat under the Aquino administration developed beyond the supra -clerical body it used to be into a strategic office central to the policy-making functions of the OP. To begin with, the Cabinet Secretary was given the rank and emolument of a member of the Cabinet. Most of the management systems employed by the executive office had their origins in the Cabinet Secretariat. This evolution of the Cabinet Secretariat is understandable when viewed in the context of the Aquino style of leadership. She was consultative, a consensus-builder, and very determined to pursue the reforms her policies had set. Such qualities needed an efficient staff support and system directly linked to her closest advisory body, the Cabinet. The Cabinet Secretariat developed a system for planning and preparing the agenda of the Cabinet Clusters, the CORD, the CAS, and the CAS Committees. This was the agenda forecast which was essentially a schedule of issues and concerns that needed to be taken up at the Cabinet Consultation Process within a specified period of time. The agenda forecast included day-to-day issues such as those referred by various departments, urgent and pressing issues, and instructions from the President. It also included issues, problems, and events identified by the Cabinet Secretariat in anticipation of forthcoming events. For instance, in preparation for the opening of schools in June, an action plan to address concerns that were most likely to occur during this period should be in the February calendar of the Cabinet Process. Around this time, too, the Cabinet should have been discussing the preparations for the Labor Day celebration. Included likewise were updates on the status of major programs and projects. This included the monitoring of th e status of landmark programs, such as the CARP, the Program to Refocus Orientation for the Poor (PRO-POOR), the Local Government Code, Agency Performance Review, and Improvement in the Delivery of Frontline Services.

To ensure that the agenda of the Cabinet and its support mechanisms were relevant and timely, the Cabinet Secretariat adopted an issue monitoring system which involved the tracking of issues raised by media and the various sectors; instructions and pronouncements of the President; and current critical events. These were also fed into the agenda forecast. Agreements Monitoring To make sure that agreements reached at the various fora of the Cabinet consultation process were implemented, these were entered into the agreements monitoring databank devised by the Cabinet Secretariat. These included status of each agreement, particulary the ones which required regular monitoring and updating. Action Summary A Cabinet fax network was set up in 1989 to expedite the transmission and exchange o f documents between and among the various departments. Moreover, communication facilities, such as the use of a two -way radio was initiated so that Cabinet members could exchange faster and quicker. Relatedly, the Cabinet Communication Network (CNN) was established to promote cooperation and interdepartmental liaisoning among the staff of Cabinet members who were directly involved in Cabinet matters. However, in the latter part of President Corazon C. Aquinos term, the functions of the Cabinet Secretari at were absorbed by the Presidential Management Staff by virtue of Executive Order No. 441, s. 1991. This also created a policy and public affairs group headed by a Deputy Executive Secretary. It was composed of the Presidential Management Staff, the Presidential Complaints and Action Office, and the Sectoral Liaison Offices. The Presidential Management Staff was in charge of providing common staff support to the President, the Executive Secretary and the Presidential Assistants/Advisers System in such areas as management of the development process, administrative reforms sectoral liaison, public assistance, strategic research, and public formulation. However, even if absorbed by the Presidential Management Staff, the position of Cabinet Secretary remained. The Cabinet Secretariat was administratively under the Presidential Management Staff, but its functions were in support of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary, to whom they reported directly. Secretaries to the Cabinet were appointed by the successors of President C. Aquino, although the functions of the Cabinet Secretariat were still being undertaken by the Presidential Management Staff. In some cases, the Secretary of the Cabinet was also concurrent head of the Presidential Management Staff. During the term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Secretary to the Cabinet was included in different clusters of the Cabinet: examples are Administrative Order no. 104, s. 2004 and Executive Order no. 771, s. 2008. On October 31, 2012, President Benigno S. Aquino III, by virtue of Executive Order no. 99, renamed the Office of the Cabinet Secretariat to Office of the Cabinet Secretary. He reinstated the Office of the Cabinet Secretary as independent of the Presidential Management Staff, along lines that closely adhere to its original mandate in 1987. The Cabinet Secretary has also been given cabinet rank and staffing support.