MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has placed two key anti-poverty agencies back under the administrative supervision of the Office of the President, reversing a Duterte-era reorganization and putting programs involving the urban poor and poverty reduction closer to Malacañang.
Under Executive Order No. 123, signed on August 18, 2026, administrative supervision over the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) was transferred from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to the Office of the President. The move was reported by the Manila Bulletin and separately covered by other Philippine media.
The order effectively reverses part of Executive Order No. 67 issued in 2018 under former President Rodrigo Duterte, which placed PCUP and NAPC under DSWD supervision as part of a wider government reorganization intended to harmonize policies and improve coordination among agencies performing related functions.
Why Marcos Moved the Agencies Back to Malacañang
The Marcos administration said returning PCUP and NAPC to the Office of the President would strengthen coordination across government, particularly on programs that require several departments and agencies to work together.
EO 123 cited the need for stronger policy coordination, greater convergence between poverty-reduction and urban-development programs, and more efficient implementation of initiatives requiring a whole-of-government approach.
That distinction matters.
Poverty is not handled by DSWD alone. Programs affecting low-income Filipinos can involve housing, employment, transportation, health, education, local governments, infrastructure, livelihood support and economic policy.
By placing PCUP and NAPC directly under the Office of the President, Malacañang potentially gains a stronger coordinating position when programs cut across several Cabinet departments.
The order does not abolish either commission or erase their existing statutory functions. Instead, it changes where their administrative supervision sits within the executive branch.
PCUP Had Already Asked to Return to the President’s Office
The transfer did not emerge without warning.
In January 2025, PCUP Chairperson Meynard Sabili publicly disclosed that he had written to the President, through then-Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, requesting that PCUP be returned to the Office of the President.
Sabili said at the time that DSWD had raised no objection to the proposed transfer and emphasized that the request was not a criticism of Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian.
That earlier request gives important context to Marcos’ latest order: at least in PCUP’s case, the agency itself had already sought a return to its former administrative home.
What Exactly Does PCUP Do?
PCUP was created after the 1986 People Power Revolution to provide the urban poor with a direct institutional link to the national government.
Its official mandate is to serve as a direct link between the urban poor and government in the formulation of policies and implementation of programs addressing their concerns.
Its responsibilities extend beyond housing.
PCUP is involved in coordinating and monitoring government programs affecting poor urban communities and in social preparation connected to issues such as relocation, basic services, livelihood, employment and housing.
The commission also has an important role in matters involving evictions and demolitions affecting homeless and underprivileged families. Government rules require coordination designed to ensure that such activities comply with legal safeguards and standards for humane treatment.
PCUP has actually moved between different government offices before.
In 2012, then-President Benigno Aquino III transferred PCUP back to the Office of the President, saying the arrangement would allow government to more effectively coordinate, formulate and evaluate policies concerning the urban poor.
Why NAPC Matters
NAPC, meanwhile, occupies a broader position in the country’s anti-poverty structure.
It was institutionalized through Republic Act No. 8425, or the Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act, and is tasked with helping coordinate government anti-poverty programs while providing representation for basic sectors in policymaking.
Under RA 8425, the President of the Philippines serves as chairperson of NAPC, while the President appoints the commission’s Lead Convenor. The law brings together Cabinet officials and representatives of basic sectors in the government’s poverty-reduction framework.
NAPC’s mandate includes coordinating with national agencies, local governments, civil society and the private sector on social reform and poverty-alleviation programs, while monitoring policies, programs and resource allocation affecting poor and marginalized communities.
That cross-government mandate helps explain Malacañang’s argument that direct supervision by the Office of the President could make coordination easier.
A Reversal of the Duterte-Era Structure
The political and administrative significance of EO 123 is clearest when viewed against the 2018 restructuring.
Under Duterte’s EO 67, PCUP, NAPC and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples were among agencies shifted to DSWD supervision. The stated objective was to harmonize their policies and coordinate programs with the department while simplifying government processes.
The agencies remained distinct bodies, but DSWD became their supervising department.
Eight years later, Marcos is reversing that arrangement for PCUP and NAPC.
Politiko reported that EO 123 specifically cited the government’s authority to reorganize offices in pursuit of greater efficiency and noted that agencies whose responsibilities require presidential attention or span multiple sectors may be placed under the Office of the President.
What Changes for Poor Communities?
The biggest test will not be where the agencies appear on an organizational chart.
It will be whether moving them closer to the President produces measurable improvements in government programs.
For PCUP, that could mean faster coordination when urban-poor communities face relocation, demolition, housing, employment and livelihood issues involving several agencies and local governments.
For NAPC, the change could give anti-poverty planning a more direct route to the President when disagreements or bottlenecks emerge among departments.
But administrative restructuring alone does not automatically reduce poverty.
Success will ultimately depend on whether Malacañang uses the new setup to accelerate decisions, eliminate duplication and turn national anti-poverty policies into programs that Filipinos can actually feel in their communities.
For now, the message from EO 123 is clear: Marcos wants two of government’s most important poverty-focused coordinating bodies closer to the center of presidential power.
And after eight years under DSWD supervision, PCUP and NAPC are back where both have spent significant periods of their institutional history — under Malacañang.
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