Administrative Code of 1987/Book IV/Chapter 3

by Corazon Aquino

Layout 2

Chapter 3—Department Services

Sec. 12. Department Services.—Except as otherwise provided by law, each Department shall have Department Services which shall include the Planning Service, the Financial and Management Service, the Administrative Service, and whenever necessary the Technical and Legal Services.

Sec. 13. Planning Service.—The Planning Service shall provide the department with economical, efficient and effective services relating to planning, programming, and project development, and discharge such other functions as may be provided by law. Where the work of the department does not call for substantial planning and programming, the Planning Service shall be constituted as a single unit without subdivisions. Where substantial primary data-gathering is essential to the operations fo the department, a statistical unit may be constituted as part of a technical service.

Sec. 14. Financial and Management Services.—The Financial and Management Services shall advise and assist the Secretary on budgetary, financial and management matters and shall perform such other functions as may be provided by law.

Sec. 15. Administrative Service.—The Administrative Service shall provide the Department with economical, efficient and effective services relating to personnel, legal assistance, information, records, delivery and receipt of correspondence, supplies, equipment, collections, disbursement, security and custodial work. It shall also perform such other functions as may be provided by law.

Sec. 16. Technical Service.—Whenever necessary, one or more technical services shall be established to take charge of technical staff activities essential to a department and which cannot be allocated to the three other services or to the bureaus.

Sec. 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.