DAR ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 08-89

CREATION OF A PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND COMPLAINTS UNIT (PACU) IN THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM

WHEREAS, Administrative Order No. 110, signed by President Corazon C. Aquino and which took effect on January 23, 1989, provides for the constitution of Public Assistance and Complaints Units in administrative agencies/bodies/offices/boards in all departments, government-owned and controlled corporations and local government units, which shall receive and act on complaints and requests for assistance from the public; refer to the operating unit the complaints/requests for appropriate action; inform the callers/writers of the status of the complaints/requests, and perform such other related functions as may be assigned by the head of the agency concerned.

NOW, THEREFORE, to ensure an orderly and effective implementation of the above Order, there is hereby created Public Assistance and Complaints Units (PACUs) in the Public Affairs Staff (PAS), Office of the Secretary, for the DAR Central Office, and in its thirteen (13) Regional Offices, as follows:

1.         The Public Affairs Staff (PAS), under a Director, in addition to its regular functions indicated in DAR Administrative Order No. 02 dated February 1, 1989, shall assume direct supervision over the PACUs.

2.         In the Central Office, a Special Assistant for PACU shall be designated, who shall have the responsibility of performing the functions of a PACU as indicated in Administrative Order No 110.

3.         In the Regional Offices, the Regional Information Officers and Editors shall perform the functions of PACU, in addition to their regular duties as information officers, and be designated as Regional Action Officers for Public Information, Assistance and Complaints.

3.1       The Regional Action Officers shall be under the direct supervision and control of the Regional Directors in the regional level and under the functional supervision of the PAS Director in the national level.

3.2       A Special Assistant for Regional Public Information, Assistance and Complaints shall be designated to coordinate and monitor the regional units from the Central Office.

4.         Every Office, Bureau and Unit in the Central Office shall designate a contact person for PACU-related matters in coordination with the PACU Central Office desk.

5.         Together with the PACU Central Office, the regional PACUs, being under the functional supervision of the PAS, which is under the Office of the Secretary, shall, therefore, be directly under the control and guidance of the Secretary of Agrarian Reform.

Furthermore, the Department, upon the recommendation of the PAS Director, shall issue guidelines in handling complaints or requests for assistance and information on DAR/CARP-related matters from the general public, including walk-in clientele.

This Order also instructs the PAS Director to draft the implementing strategies for the PAS and the Regional Information Officers and Editors to fully exercise this public assistance function in view of the role of PAS as the lead office to implement both its public information and assistance program, with the support of the RIOs and Editors under its supervision.

This administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 26 April 1989

(SGD.) PHILIP ELLA JUICO
Secretary