January 25, 2018

MANILA— The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) celebrated on Wednesday its 45th founding anniversary with the theme “One NEDA Through the Years: Promoting Malasakit, Pagbabago, at Patuloy na Pag-unlad.”

NEDA had lined up activities for the public and its employees, including photo and singing contests, a sports fest, an exhibit of old photos and past development plans, and a tribute dinner for its former Secretaries.

A culminating program was held yesterday afternoon at the NEDA grounds in Pasig City. One of its highlights was the sharing of experiences and learnings of loyalty awardees and long-serving employees.

Among the guests who graced yesterday’s event were former NEDA secretaries Cesar Virata and Solita Monsod, Bohol Rep. and House economic affairs committee chair Arthur Yap, National Youth Commission Chair Aiza Seguerra, and Ayala Corp’s head of public policy Tony Lambino.

The history of NEDA began in 1935 when the Commonwealth government created the National Economic Council, which was then tasked to advise the government on economic and financial matters.

In 1970, President Ferdinand Marcos in his State of the Nation Address stressed the need to restructure and revitalize the administrative machinery of the government to meet the challenge of change and development. Marcos, hence, ordered the reorganization plan which included a National Economic Development Authority and submitted it to Congress for their approval.

President Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1, s. 1972 on September 24, 1972, which merged the National Economic Council and the Presidential Economic staff, created by Executive Order No. 8, s. 1966, and renamed it to the National Economic Development Authority. President Marcos subsequently issued Presidential Decree No. 1-A which delineated the composition of the National Economic Development Authority.

On January 24, 1973, President Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 107, s. 1973, which established the National Economic and Development Authority, now the country’s supreme economic and social development planning and policy coordinating body.

The decree allowed NEDA to absorb the previously created National Economic Development Authority.

“The agency has gone far from being a small advisory council composed of eight committees to an agency of 1,500 hard-working staff nationwide now,” Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said in a statement.

Pernia noted how changes have shaped NEDA into what it is today. “While we are celebrating our agency’s achievements through the years, today also serves as a reminder of our mandate and the challenges ahead of us.”

“We will continue to build on the gains and face the challenges that will emerge by ensuring stability, enriching reforms, and sharpening strategies to ensure that public interest is at the heart of the government’s plans and projects,” Pernia said.