Article 15p. 15

ADMINISTRATIVE CODE AND LAW OF PUBLIC OFFICERS TEXT AND RULES

essential to a department and which cannot be allocated

to the three other services or to the bureaus.

SECTION 17. Legal Service . — A Legal Service shall be

provided where the operations of the department involve

substantial legal work, in which case the Administrative

Service shall not have a Legal Division. The Legal Service

shall provide legal advice to the department; interpret

laws and rules affecting the operation of the department;

prepare

contracts

and

instruments

to

which

the

department

is

a

party,

and

interpret

provisions

of

contracts covering work performed for the Department

by private entities; assist in the promulgation of rules

governing

the

activities

of the department; prepare

comments

on

proposed

legislation

concerning

the

department; answer legal queries from the public; assist

the Solicitor General in suits involving the Department or

its officers, or employees or act as their principal counsel

in all actions taken in their official capacity before judicial

or

administrative

bodies;

and

perform

such

other

functions as may be provided by law.

Where the workload of the department does not

warrant a Legal Service or a Legal Division, there shall be

one or more legal assistants in the Office of the Secretary.

CHAPTER 4 Bureaus

SECTION 18. Bureaus in General . — (1) A Bureau is any

principal subdivision of the department performing a

single

major

function

or

closely

related

functions.

Bureaus are either staff or line.

(2) Each bureau shall be headed by a Director who

may have one or more Assistant Directors as provided by

law; and

(3) Each bureau may have as many divisions as are

provided by law for the economical, efficient and effective

performance of its functions.

SECTION 19. Staff Bureau . — (1) A staff bureau shall

primarily

perform

policy,

program

development

and

advisory functions.

(2) The Director of a staff bureau shall:

(a) Advise and assist the Office of the Secretary on

matters pertaining to the Bureau's area of specialization;

(b) Provide consultative and advisory services to the

regional offices of the department;

(c) Develop plans, programs, operating standards, and

administrative

techniques

for the attainment of the

objectives and functions of the bureau; and

(d) Perform such other duties as may be provided by

law.

(3) The staff bureau shall avail itself of the planning,

financial and administrative services in the department

proper. The bureau may have a separate administrative

division, if circumstances so warrant.

SECTION 20. Line Bureau . — (1) A line bureau shall

directly

implement

programs

adopted

pursuant

to

department policies and plans.

(2) The Director of a line bureau shall:

(a) Exercise supervision and control over all divisions

and other units, including regional offices, under the

bureau;

(b) Establish policies and standards for the operations

of the bureau pursuant to the plans and programs of the

department;

(c) Promulgate rules and regulations necessary to

carry out bureau objectives, policies and functions; and

(d) Perform such other duties as may be provided by

law.

(3) The line bureau may have staff units, as may be

necessary,

corresponding

to

the

services

of

the

department proper. If the bureau is small, only a single

unit

performing

combined

staff

functions

may

be

provided.

CHAPTER 5 Field Offices

SECTION 21. Regional Offices . — Regional Offices shall

be established according to law defining field service

areas. The administrative regions shall be composed of a

National Capital Region and Regions I to XII. Provincial

and district offices may be established only by law

whenever necessary.

SECTION 22. Integration of Field Service . — Except as

otherwise provided by law and when the needs of the

service

so

require,

the

department

or agency shall

organize an integrated regional office on a department or

agency-wide basis.

SECTION 23. Administration of Regional Office . —

The regional office shall be headed by a Regional Director

who

may be assisted by one (1) Assistant Regional

Director, except as may otherwise be provided by law. The

Regional Director shall be responsible for department or

agency functions performed in the region under his

jurisdiction.

SECTION 24. Supervision of Regional Offices . — (1)

Whenever the function or activity of a department or

agency

requires

central

or

interregional

action,

the

function may be performed by the regional offices under

the supervision and control of the department proper or

line bureau concerned.

(2) The staff bureau or division shall perform primarily

advisory or auxiliary functions and exercise in behalf of

the department or agency functional supervision over the

regional offices. This shall include authority to develop

and set down standards, policies and procedures to be

implemented

by

operating

units,

and

to

evaluate

continuously such implementation for the purpose of

recommending or when authorized, taking corrective

measures.

SECTION 25. Organization of Regional Offices . —

Regional offices organized on a department-wide basis

shall have units or personnel in which the functional

areas of the staff bureaus and services in the department

shall be represented. Regional offices of a line bureau

may have units or personnel in which the functional areas

of the primary units of the bureau are represented.

Related functions of regional units shall be consolidated.

SECTION 26. Functions of a Regional Office . — (1) A

regional office shall:

(a) Implement laws, policies, plans, programs, rules

and regulations of the department or agency in the

regional area;

(b) Provide economical, efficient and effective service

to the people in the area;

(c)

Coordinate

with

regional

offices

of

other

departments, bureaus and agencies in the area;

(d) Coordinate with local government units in the area;

and

(e) Perform such other functions as may be provided

by law.

(2) District offices may be established only in cases of

clear necessity.

SECTION 27. Duties of a Regional Director . — The

Regional Director shall:

(1) Implement laws, policies, rules and regulations

within the responsibility of the agency;

(2) Implement agency programs in the region;

(3) Exercise the management functions of planning,

organizing, directing and controlling;

(4) Appoint personnel to positions in the first level and

casual and seasonal employees; and exercise disciplinary

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