Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No._____ 
________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Culture, which is the broad spectrum of people's beliefs, practices, customs 
and traditions, and other forms of actual and symbolic expressions which are handed 
from generation to generation, plays a big role in creating the country's national 
identity, despite of its diversity. It brings together Filipinos although separated by 
different islands, beliefs and customs. It is what binds the Filipinos as one. Thus, in 
order to further develop Philippine culture to reach heights in advancing the 
Philippines' national identity, the creation of a Department of Culture is hereby 
proposed. 
The Department of Culture shall, among others, focus on the protection, 
preservation, regulation, development, management, dissemination and promotion 
of the cultural, historical and artistic heritage and resources, tangible and intangible, 
of the Philippines and the Filipino people. 
As such, the passage of this Bill is earnestly sought. 
EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ 
January 23, 2023
2:41 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No._____ 
________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
Be it enacted in the Senate rind the House of Representatives of the Republic of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled. 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Department of 
Culture Act”. 
SECTION 2. Definition of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the 
State to: 
a. Foster the preservation, enrichment and dynamic evolution of a Filipino
national culture based on the principle of unity in diversity in a climate
of free artistic expression;
b. Conserve, promote, and popularize the nation's historical and cultural
heritage and resources, as well as artistic creations;
c. Recognize, respect and protect the rights of indigenous cultural
communities to preserve and develop their cultures, traditions and
institutions;
d. Create a national body, which will be responsible for the
implementation of policy, legislation and strategic direction for the
protection, regulation, development, management, dissemination and
promotion of the country’s culture;
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e. Ensure equal access to cultural opportunities through the educational 
system, public or private cultural entities, scholarships, grants and other 
incentives, and community cultural centers, and other public venues; 
 
f. Encourage and support research and studies on the arts and culture. 
 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. – 
 
a. “Art” shall refer to the expression or application of human creative skill 
and imagination; 
 
b. “Conservation” shall refer to all process and measures of maintaining 
the cultural significant of a cultural property, including but not limited 
to, preservation, restoration, reconstruction, protection, adaptive re-use 
or any combination thereof; 
 
c. “Cultural Education” shall refer to the teaching and learning of cultural 
concepts and processes 
 
d. “Cultural Heritage” shall refer to the totality of cultural property 
preserved and developed through time and passed on to posterity 
 
e. “Cultural Property” shall refer to all products of human creativity by 
which people and nation reveal their identity, including architecture and 
sites of human activity and natural history specimens and sites, whether 
public or privately owned, movable or immovable, and tangible or 
intangible; 
 
f. “Culture” shall refer to the broad spectrum of people's beliefs, practices, 
customs and traditions and other forms of actual and symbolic 
expressions which are handed from generation to generation; 
 
g. “Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples” shall refer to 
a group of people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription 
and ascription by others, who have continuously lives as organized 
community on communally bounded and defined territory, and who 
have, under claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied, 
possessed and utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of 
language, customs, traditions and other distinctive cultural traits, or 
who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of 


colonization, 
non-indigenous 
religions 
and 
cultures, 
became 
historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos. It shall 
likewise include peoples who are regarded as indigenous on account of 
their descent from the populations which inhabited the country, at the 
time of conquest or colonization, or at the time of inroads of non-
indigenous religions and cultures, or the establishment of present state 
boundaries, who retain some or all of their own social, economic, 
cultural and political institutions, but who may have been displaced 
from their traditional domains, or who may have resettled outside their 
ancestral domains; 
 
h. “Intangible Cultural Heritage” shall refer to practices, representations, 
expressions, knowledge, skills, as well as instrument, objects and 
artifacts associated therewith, that communities, groups and individuals 
recognize as part of their cultural heritage. 
 
SECTION 4. Creation of the Department - There is hereby created the 
Department of Culture (hereinafter referred to as the Department), which shall be 
the primary policy-formulating, planning, coordinating, implementing, and 
administrative entity of the executive branch of the National Government that will 
implement the pertinent provisions of the Constitution regarding culture and arts. 
 
The Department with its attached agencies shall be responsible for the 
protection, preservation, regulation, development, management, dissemination and 
promotion of the cultural historical and artistic heritage and resources, tangible and 
intangible, of the Philippines and the Filipino people, all of which, with their 
physical and social contexts and environments, are understood as together 
constituting and pertaining to Philippine culture for purposes of this Act. 
 
The Department shall continually review the state and needs of culture and 
arts in the context of the country's developmental goals. 
 
SECTION 5. Powers and Functions. - The Department shall exercise the 
following powers and functions: 
 
a. Formulate and implement national policies, plans, programs and 
guidelines for the protection, preservation, regulation, development, 
management, dissemination and promotion of culture, to ensure overall 
consistency, effectiveness, efficiency, and conformity with policies of 
the State articulated in the Constitution as well as in this Act and other 


pertinent laws and issuances; 
 
b. Assume and exercise all existing regulatory and quasi- judicial 
functions established under Republic Act No. 4846, or “The Cultural 
Properties Preservation rind Protection Act”; Presidential Decree No. 
374, or “Amending the Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection 
Act”; Presidential Decree No. 1748, or “In Act Amending the Charter 
of the Intramuros Administration”; Republic Act No. 8491, or “the flag 
and Heraldic Code of the Philippines”; Republic Act No. 9105, or “Art 
rind forget Act of 2OO1”; Republic Act No. 10066, or “The National 
Cultural Heritage Act of 2OO9”; nod, Republic Act No. 10086 or 
“Strengthening Peoples' Nationalism through Philippine History Act”; 
as well as such other functions promulgated through executive 
issuances pertaining to the agencies of the National Government 
covered under this Act; which all hereby transferred in toto to the 
Department from the said agencies; 
 
c. Assume responsibility regarding disaster risk reduction and 
management relative to culture and cultural property through creation 
of programs and projects in coordination with the National Disaster 
Risk Reduction and Management Council and Regional Disaster Risk 
Reduction and Management Councils, on which it shall have full 
membership, representation and participation; 
 
d. Recommend to the President of the Philippines the designation, through 
Presidential Proclamation, with appropriate published guidelines 
pertaining thereto, of a cultural property, whether immovable or 
movable, tangible or intangible, as a National Cultural Monument, a 
category hereby established which incorporates the previously- 
established legal definitions of, criteria pertaining to, and all cultural 
property previously declared by authorized agencies as National 
Cultural Treasure, National Historical Landmark, National Historical 
Shrine, National Historical Monument, and National Historical Site; 
 
e. Designate, through Department Order, and with appropriate published 
guidelines pertaining thereto, cultural property, whether immovable or 
movable, tangible or intangible, as a National Cultural Monument, a 
category hereby established which incorporates the previously-
established legal definitions of, criteria pertaining to, and all cultural 
property previously declared by authorized agencies as National 


Cultural Treasure, National Historical Landmark, National Historical 
Shrine, National Historical Monument and National Historical House; 
 
f. Administer the qualification and selection, with appropriate published 
guidelines pertaining thereto, of the Award for National Living 
Treasures, which is hereby renamed as the Order of  National  Living  
Treasures  (Order  ng  mga Pambansang Manlilikha ng Bayan), and the 
Order of National Artists {Orden ng mga Pambansang Alagad ng 
Sining), and recommend those nominees to either Order who have been 
qualified and selected by the President of the Philippines for 
proclamation as such and conferral of the same; 
 
g. Undertake, through a National Institute of Culture and Arts 
Management and the Institutes of Living Traditions, to be established 
for the purpose, in an appropriate partnership with the academic sector, 
the education, training and certification of cultural officers and 
personnel as a necessary qualification for employment and promotion 
in the National Government and in local governments where such might 
be required by the Department in coordination with the Civil Service 
Commission and the Career Executive Service Board, at the career sub-
professional, career professional, and career executive levels, to include 
appropriate courses and programs towards certificates, diplomas, and 
career executive levels, to include appropriate courses arid programs 
towards certificates, diplomas, and undergraduate and graduate 
degrees; 
 
h. Administer the qualification, selection and conferral of such other 
awards as it may establish in support of its mandate;  
 
i. Support the development of the cultural, artistic and creative industries 
of the country, in all particulars and at all levels; 
 
j. Administer the endowment funds established separately under Section 
20 of Republic Act No. 7356, the Law Creating the National 
Commission for Culture rind the Arts, and Section 50 of Republic Act 
No. 10066, which are herein considered into a single National 
Endowment Fund for Culture and Arts that shall continue to be sourced 
and augmented as provided by the aforementioned provisions, and 
provide financial support from this fund for various national programs 
through a system of grants drawing from the proceeds, including both 


principal and interest, of the same, subject to the approval of the 
Department of Budget and Management; 
 
k. Represent the Philippines in matters pertaining to culture in overseas 
regional and international organizations arid events; 
 
l. Other powers and functions as may be created, assigned or transferred 
by the President of the Philippines in accordance with law; 
 
SECTION 6. Composition - The Department proper shall include the Office 
of the Secretary and the staff units directly under it, including the Services 
established herein. The Office of the Secretary shall consist of the Secretary, at least 
three (3) Undersecretaries, and at least five (5) Assistant Secretaries, together with 
the personnel in their immediate offices 
 
SECTION 7. Secretary of Culture - The authority and responsibility for the 
exercise of the mandate of the Department and for the discharge of its powers and 
functions shall be vested in the Secretary, who shall supervision and control of the 
Department and shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines, subject to the 
confirmation by the Commission on Appointments. 
 
SECTION 8.  Powers and Function the Secretary - The Secretary shall have 
the following functions: 
 
a. Provide executive direction and supervision over the entire operations 
of the Department and exercise administrative supervision over its 
attached agencies; 
 
b. Establish policies and standards for the effective, efficient and 
economical operation of the Department, in accordance with the 
programs of the government; 
 
c. Promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out department 
mandates, objectives, policies, functions. Plans programs and projects; 
 
d. Promulgate administrative issuances necessary for the efficient 
administration of the offices under the Secretary and for proper 
execution of the laws relative thereto. These issuances shall not 
prescribe for their violation, exception when expressly authorized by 
law; 


 
e. Rationalize delivery systems necessary for the effective attainment of 
the objectives of the Department, in accordance with the programs of 
Government; 
 
f. Appoint all officers and employees of the Department except those 
whose appointments are vested in the President or in some other 
appointing authority and shall appoint employees to positions in the 
second level in the regional offices as defined in this Act and in 
accordance with the Civil Service laws, rules and regulations; 
 
g. Exercise disciplinary powers over officers and employees under the 
Secretary in accordance with law, including their investigation and the 
designation of a committee or officer to conduct such investigation; 
 
h. Sit on the governing boards of attached agencies as provided in this Act, 
as well as any other agencies or organizations as may be appropriate or 
designated; 
 
i. Coordinate with local governments, other agencies and public and 
private interests groups, including non- government organizations and 
people's organizations on Department policies and initiatives; 
 
j. Advise the President of the Philippines and make recommendations on 
the promulgation of executive and administrative orders and regulatory 
and legislative proposals on matters pertaining to culture; 
 
k. Formulate and enforce a system of measuring and evaluating 
periodically and objectively the performance of the Department and 
submit the same annually to the President; 
l. Prepare and submit to the President through the Department of Budget 
and Management an estimate of the necessary expenditures of the 
during the next fiscal year, on the basis of the reports and estimates 
submitted by bureaus and officers under the Department; 
m. Exercise jurisdiction over all bureaus, offices, agencies and 
corporations under the Department as are provided by law; and, 
 
n. Performs such other functions as may be provided by law or assigned 
by the President of the Republic of the Philippines. 
 


SECTION 9. Undersecretaries — The Secretary shall be assisted by three 
(3) Undersecretaries who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines upon 
the recommendation of the Secretary, at least two (2) of whom shall be career 
officers. The powers of the undersecretaries are: 
 
a. Advise and assist the Secretary in the formulation and Oversee all the 
operational activities of the bureau or units for which he shall be 
responsible as assigned by the Secretary; 
 
b. Coordinate the programs and projects of the same and be responsible 
for its economical, efficient and effective administration; 
 
c. Whenever necessary be designated to serve as deputy to the Secretary 
in all matters relating to the operations of the department; the 
designated Undersecretary will temporarily discharge the duties of the 
Secretary in the latter's absence or inability to discharge his or her duties 
for any cause or in case of vacancy of the said office, unless otherwise 
provided by law, the President of the Philippines shall likewise make 
the temporary designation of Acting Secretary to the same; and 
 
d. Perform such other functions and duties as may be provided by law. 
 
SECTION 10. Assistant Secretaries. — The Secretary shall be assisted by at 
least give (5) Assistant Secretaries, all of whom shall be appointed by the President 
of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the Secretary, at least three (3) of 
whom shall be career officers. The Assistant Secretaries shall be in charge of specific 
areas of responsibility as may be established by the Secretary. 
 
SECTION 11. Qualifications. No person shall be appointed Secretary, 
Undersecretary or Assistant Secretary of the Department unless he or she is a citizen 
and resident of the Philippines, of good moral character, and of proven integrity, and 
with at least seven (7) years of competence/expertise/experience as manager, 
advocate, scholar or practitioner in fields of endeavor related to Philippine culture 
and the mandate and functions of the Department. 
 
SECTION 12. Department Services. - The Department of Culture shall 
include the General Administrative Service, Financial Management Service, Policy 
and Planning Service, Legal Affairs Service, Physical Facilities Management 
Service, Human Resources Development Service, Strategic Communications and 
Initiative Service, Knowledge and Information Systems, Project Evaluation and 


Monitoring Service, Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Service, Internal Audit 
Service, Endowment Management Service, Grants Management Service. 
 
SECTION 13. The Bureaus of the Department - The Department shall 
exercise supervision and control over the following Bureaus created under it: 
 
a. Bureau of Cultural Communities mcl Traditional Arts Development. 
- This Bureau shall formulate and implement plans, programs and 
activities for the development of the different cultural communities all 
over the country, ensure the preservation and dissemination of the 
country's diverse cultures, establish schools for living traditions, 
encourage the continued practice and development of traditional arts 
and crafts, document the Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices, 
and cause the recognition of outstanding traditional artists. 
 
b. Bureau of Cultural Properties Protection and Regulation - This 
bureau shall be in-charge of the registration and documentation of the 
nation's historical and cultural properties, issue permits and licenses, 
conduct inspection and assessment on cultural properties, implement 
Disaster Risk Reduction program for the cultural assets, enforce laws 
on cultural heritage conservation and intellectual property protection 
for artists and cultural experts. 
 
c. Bureau of Cultural Properties Preservation - This bureau shall be 
responsible for formulating and implementing plans, programs and 
activities for the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural 
heritage, 
providing 
architectural, 
engineering, 
scientific 
and 
conservation laboratory services, providing support to monuments and 
sites, museums and galleries and libraries and archives all over the 
country and establish a National Institute of Heritage Conversation. 
 
d. Bureau of Artistic Development - This bureau shall ensure the 
continuing and balanced development of the nation's artistic heritage in 
its various forms; performing arts, film and media arts, visual arts, 
architecture and allied arts and literature, provide support to regional 
and local culture and arts centers, performing arts and exhibition 
venues, ensure the welfare of artists and cultural workers, undertake 
human resource development programs for artists, and establish the 
National Academy for Culture and Arts and National Institute for 
Culture and Arts Management. 


 
e. Bureau of Cultural Research, Education and Dissemination - This 
bureau shall undertake cultural research for policy and program 
development, publish cultural materials, especially on positive Filipino 
values for dissemination, manage the cultural education program for 
the country, ensure the development and promotion of Philippine 
languages, implement national translation program, arid implement 
national promotion program in various forms of media. 
 
f. Bureau of Cultural and Creative Industries - This bureau shall 
formulate plans and programs to ignite the innovative and 
entrepreneurial mindset of Filipino artists and establish industries in the 
various genres of arts: performing arts, cinema, books and publications, 
creative designs, culinary and lifestyle and architecture and allied arts, 
and others. 
 
SECTION 14. The Bureau Director - Each Bureau shall be headed by a 
Bureau Director, who shall be assisted by one (1) Assistant Bureau Director. The 
Bureau Director and Assistant Bureau Director shall be appointed by the President 
of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the Secretary. 
 
SECTION 15. Powers and Functions of the Bureau Director - The 
Bureau Director shall be its chief executive officer. He shall exercise overall 
authority in matters within the jurisdiction of the bureau, including those relating to 
its operations, and enforce all laws and regulations pertaining to it. The Bureau 
Director shall appoint personnel to all positions in his bureau or office, in accordance 
with the law. In the case of the line bureau or office, the head shall also appoint the 
second level personnel of the regional offices, unless such power has been delegated. 
He shall have the authority to discipline employees in accordance with the Civil Service 
Law. 
 
SECTION 16. Regional Offices the Department - The Department is hereby 
authorized to establish, operate and maintain a Regional Office, whenever 
appropriate, in each of the administrative regions of the country. Each regional office 
shall be headed by a Regional Director, who may be assisted by one (1) Assistant 
Regional Director who shall both be appointed by the President of the Philippines 
upon the recommendation of the Secretary: Provided, That they shall be persons 
recognized as an accomplished manager, advocate, scholar or practitioner in fields of 
endeavor related to Philippine culture in region, or any suitably qualified person in 
accordance with Civil Service Commission (CSC) rules and regulations. 


 
It may also establish satellite, extension or field offices when and wherever 
necessary, particularly in locations where significant culture and heritage properties 
and concerns are identified to exist, and to support the operations, programs and 
projects of its attached and other concerned agencies and institutions. A regional office 
shall have, within its administrative region, the following functions: 
 
a. Implement laws, policies, plans, programs, rules and regulations of the 
department or agency in the regional area; 
 
b. Provide economical, efficient and efficient service to the people in 
the area; 
 
c. Undertake research arid gather data or local culture and arts trends and 
other relevant culture and arts trends and other relevant cultural and 
artistic information; 
 
d. Cause to establish and oversee the regional and local culture and arts 
council (as far as the city and municipal level) to engage participation 
of local artists and cultural workers; 
e. Coordinate with regional offices of other departments, bureaus and 
agencies in the area; 
 
f. Coordinate with local government units in the area; 
 
g. Make recommendation to the Secretary on all matters relating to culture 
and arts in the region; and, 
 
h. Perform such other functions as may be provided by law. 
 
SECTION 17. Duties of a Regional Director. — The Regional Director shall 
perform duties and functions as may be provided by law or further delegated by the 
head of agency or other proper authorities concerned. 
 
SECTION 18. The Attached Agencies. – 
 
a. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is hereby 
abolished and their powers and functions, applicable funds and 
appropriations, records, equipment, property, and personnel transferred to 
the Department. 


 
b. The following agencies are hereby attached to the Department for 
policy and program coordination, and shall continue to operate and 
function in accordance with the charters, laws or orders creating them, 
insofar as they are not inconsistent with this act: 
 
i. 
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) 
 
ii. 
National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) 
 
iii. 
National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) 
 
iv. 
National Library of the Philippines (NLP) 
 
v. 
National Archives of the Philippines (NAP) 
 
vi. 
Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) 
 
vii. 
Intramuros Administration (IA) 
 
viii. 
National Parks Development Committee (NPDC) 
 
ix. 
Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) 
 
x. 
Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) 
 
xi. 
National Book Development Board (NBDB) 
 
xii. 
Design Center of the Philippines 
 
c. The 
laws and 
rules on 
government reorganization 
as 
provided for in Republic Act No. 6566, otherwise known as the 
Reorganization law, shall govern the organization process of the 
Department. 
 
SECTION 19. National Institutes. The following National Institutes, with 
their respective networks throughout the country, shall be established under the 
Department: 
 
a. The National Institute of Living Traditions, and through it, a network 


of individual Schools of Living Traditions to be established, which, 
with the support of appropriate partnerships, shall be responsible for 
programs and projects related to the safeguarding, sustainability, 
propagation arid intergenerational transmission of intangible cultural 
heritage, particularly that which pertains to indigenous cultural 
communities; 
 
b. The National Institute of Cultural Heritage Preservation, and though it, 
a network individual Eskmela Talyer to be established, which with the 
support of appropriate partnerships, shall be responsible for programs 
arid projects related to national capacity building in the area of 
conservation arts, sciences and trades with respect to the preservation 
of immovable and movable cultural property and with a particular focus 
on vocational training for youth; and 
 
c. The National Institute of Culture and Arts Management, and through it, 
a network of individual Culture and Arts Management Training Centers 
to be established, which, with the support of appropriate partnerships, 
shall be responsible for programs and projects related to the education, 
training and certification of cultural officers and personnel as a 
necessary qualifications for employment and promotion in the National 
Government and in local government where such might be required by 
the Department in coordination with the Civil Service Commission and 
the Career Executive Service Board, at the career sub-professional, and 
career executive levels, to include appropriate courses and programs 
towards certificates, diplomas, and undergraduate and graduate 
degrees. 
 
SECTION 20. National Academy of Culture and Arts. - There is hereby 
established under the Department a National Academy of Culture and Arts, which 
shall be an institutionalized association of the nation's foremost leaders and 
exponents of culture and arts, the primary purpose of which is to support the mandate 
of the Department as an independent body of eminent persons. The President of the 
Philippines shall be the Honorary Patron of the National Academy of Cultural and 
Arts. 
 
The structure and organization of the Academy, including the specification of 
its functions, procedures as to its governance and the selection of its members, and 
the composition of its secretariat, shall be contained in a charter to be formulated by 
the Department and promulgated by the President of the Philippines through an 


Executive Order within one (1) year of the effectivity of this Act. 
 
SECTION 21. Cultural and Arts Advisory Councils. - The Department shall 
facilitate the creation of a National Culture and Arts Advisory Council, a Regional 
Culture and Arts Advisory Council, arid a Local Culture and Arts Advisory Council, 
to assist the Department in the implementation of culture and arts initiatives. 
 
SECTION 22. Sectoral and Industry Task Forces. The Department may 
create a sectoral and industry task forces, technical working groups, advisory bodies 
or committees for the furtherance of its objectives. Additional private sector 
representatives, such as from the academe, CSOs, and federation of private 
industries directly involved in culture and the arts as well as representative of other 
LGUs, and GOCCs may be appointed to these working groups. 
 
SECTION 23. Rizal Centers. — The Department shall, through a dedicated 
organizational unit to be established for the purpose, establish and manage centers, 
to be known as Rizal Centers (Sentro Rival}, throughout the country and overseas, 
the primary purpose of which shall be the promotion of, and the facilitation of access 
by the constituency of each center to, Philippine culture generally as well as the 
culture generally as well as the cultural resources managed by the Department and 
its attached agencies in particular. 
 
Domestically, the Department shall establish Sentro Rizal as regional cultural 
center and hubs, to be supervised and operated appropriately through its regional 
offices. Such regional centers shall include exhibition and performance venues, and 
facilities enabling access to knowledge resources, particularly those pertaining to 
vernacular language resources. 
 
Overseas, the Department shall establish Sentro Rizal as Philippine cultural 
centers in key places for benefit of the global diaspora of Philippine citizens the 
global community of Filipino migrant or descendants thereof, and all who are 
interested in Philippine culture. The Department for this purpose shall coordinate 
with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, and 
other concerned agencies. 
 
Such Sentro Rizal as may be established overseas shall have a dedicated 
budget and staff under the Department and be considered as overseas office thereof, 
shall function as repositories of Philippine cultural resources, shall carry out active 
programs and projects to engage their respective constituencies, and shall offer 
courses in the national language and any other Filipino languages as may 


appropriate. 
 
The operations of the Sentro Rizal network of the Department, both 
domestically and overseas, shall be considered as one its permanent flagship 
programs, and shall therefore be specifically provided for in the General 
Appropriations Act for every fiscal year. 
 
Article XII, including Sections 42 to 47, of Republic Act No. 10066 is hereby 
repealed. 
 
SECTION 24. Overseas Offices. - The Department shall establish overseas 
whenever necessary to: 
 
a. Implement plans, programs and projects of the Department relative to 
communities of Philippine citizen abroad; 
 
b. Promote Filipino culture to the international community; 
 
c. Coordinate with international organization as well as with the overseas 
offices of other departments, offices and agencies of the Philippine 
government; and 
 
d. Perform such other functions as may be provided by law. 
 
SECTION 25. Structure and Staffing Pattern. The laws and rules on 
government reorganization as provided for in Republic Act No. 6656, otherwise 
known as the Reorganization Law, shall govern the reorganization process of the 
Department arid, where appropriate, its attached agencies. 
 
SECTION 26. Structure and Staffing Pattern. - Subject to the approval of 
the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Department and, where 
appropriate, its attached agencies, shall determine its organizational structure and 
create new divisions or units as it may deem necessary and shall appoint officers and 
employees of the Department and its attached agencies in accordance with the Civil 
Service Law, rules, and regulations. 
 
SECTION 27. Transition Period. - The transfer of functions, assets, funds, 
equipment, properties, transactions, and personnel of affected agencies, and the 
formulation of the internal organic structure, staffing pattern, operating system, and 
revised budget of the Department, shall be completed within six (6) months from the 


effectivity of this Act, during which time, the existing personnel shall continue to 
assume their posts in holdover capacities until new appointments are issued: 
Provided, that after the abolition of the agency, as specified in Section 17(a) of this 
Act, the Department, in coordination with the DBM, shall determine and create new 
positions, the funding requirement of which shall not exceed the equivalent cost of 
positions abolished. 
 
SECTION 28. Separation from Service. - Employees separated from the 
service as a result of this reorganization shall, within ninety (90) days therefrom, 
receive the separation and retirement benefits wo which they may be entitled under 
Executive Order No. 366. Provided, that such separation pay and retirement benefits 
shall have priority of payment out of the savings of the department or agency. 
 
SECTION 29. Post Office Building and Liwasang Bonifacio. - The Post 
Office Building, currently the property of the Philippine Postal Corporation 
(PhilPost), and the area known as Liwasang Bonifacio (formerly Plaza Lawton), 
both in the City of Manila, are hereby appropriated for the for the exclusive use and 
central office premises of the Department of Culture and its attached agencies. 
 
SECTION 30. Other Properties. - Real and movable properties owned by 
those agencies abolished or absorbed into the Department under this Act, namely the 
National Commission for Culture and the Arts Building and the Metropolitan 
Theatre, shall be transferred to the Department. 
 
SECTION 31. Appropriations. - The amount needed for the initial 
implementation of this Act shall be taken from the current fiscal year's appropriation 
for the NCCA through the Office of the President, and other appropriations available 
for the purpose. Thereafter, the amount needed for the operation and maintenance of 
the Department proper shall be included in the General Appropriations Act, provided 
that for the next fiscal year, the amount shall be no less than Two Billion Pesos 
(Php2,000,000,000.00). 
 
SECTION 32. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Office of the 
President, in consultation with other government agencies mentioned in this Act, 
shall promulgate its implementing rules and regulations within ninety (90) days after 
the effectivity of this Act. 
 
SECTION 33. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules 
and regulations and other issuances or parts thereof that are inconsistent with this 
Act are hereby repealed in full force and effect. 


 
SECTION 34. Separability Clause. -  If any provision of this Act shall be 
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall 
remain in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 35. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) 
days from publication in at least two (2) papers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,