The National Economic and Development Authority, pursuant to Section 9, Article XII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, is the country’s independent economic development and planning agency. It is the governing body that sets major development policy directions for the country.

The Authority, as provided by Section 3 of Executive Order No. 230 approved on 22 July 1987, is composed of two separate and distinct entities – the Board and the Secretariat.

The NEDA Board, which is headed by the President, is responsible for formulating continuing, coordinated and fully integrated social and economic policies, plans and programs at the national level.. The NEDA Secretariat, serves as the research and technical support arm of the NEDA Board. It coordinates the formulation of medium-term and long-term socioeconomic development plans; monitors approved national, sectoral and regional development plans, programs and projects; programs allocation of resources, and promotes and applies market mechanisms to rationalize economic incentives and rents.

The NEDA Board is replicated at the regional level through the Regional Development Councils (RDC). In the Cordillera Administrative Region, the RDC was created by EO 30, series of 2001,to serve as the primary institution for setting the direction of economic and social development in the Cordillera Administrative Region and through which regional development efforts shall be coordinated (Sec. 1). The same law provided in Section 3 that the provisions of Executive Order No. 325 dated April 12, 1996, as amended by Executive Order No. 384 dated September 7, 1996 & Executive Order No. 437 dated September 15, 1997 on “Selection of PSRs”, “Functions of the RDC”, “RDC Officials”, “Affiliate Committees”, “Meetings”, “Appointment of Chairman / Co-Chairman”, “Functional Powers and Responsibilities of the Chairman / Co-chairman”, “RDC Secretariat”, “Term of Office,” and “Funding” & their implementing guidelines shall be applicable to the Council.

The RDC has the following functions:

a) Coordinate the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of short and long-term regional development plans and investment programs, regional physical framework plan and special development plans, including the formulation of policy recommendations;

b) Integrate approved development plans of provinces and cities, line agencies, state universities and colleges, government owned and controlled corporations and special development authorities in the region into the regional development plan;

c) Review, prioritize, and endorse to the national government the annual and multi-year sectoral investment programs of the region for funding and implementation;

d) Review and endorse to the national government the annual budgets of agency regional offices, state colleges and universities and special development authorities;

e) Promote and direct the inflow and allocation of private investments in the region to support regional development objectives, policies, strategies;

f) Review and endorse national plans, programs and projects proposed for implementation in the regions;

g) As required by the Investment Coordinating Council (ICC), review and endorse projects of national government agencies that have impact on the region and projects of LGUs in the region requiring national government officials exposure which may come in the form of guarantees, national government budget appropriations or subsidies, among others;

h) Initiate and coordinate the development, funding and implementation of regional and special development projects such as those involving several agencies or LGUs;

I) Coordinate the monitoring and evaluation of development projects undertaken by government agencies, local government units, state colleges and universities, government-owned and/or controlled corporations and special development authorities in the region; and

j) Perform other related functions and activities as may be necessary to promote and sustain the socio-economic development of the regions.

Section 13 of Executive Order 325 further specified that the NEDA Regional Office shall be the Secretariat of the RDC. The NEDA Regional Director shall manage the technical, administrative and financial operations of the RDC and shall be accountable for the funds and properties of the RDC.

The functions of the NEDA Regional Offices (NEDA Roles, Functions and Organization, 1990) are:

1. Acts as the principal technical, management and executive arm of the RDC;
2. Coordinates the formulation, implementation and monitoring of regional socioeconomic, physical and special development plans, policies and investment programs;
3. Appraises and reviews proposed programs and projects n the region requiring RDC action and/or NEDA endorsement;
4. Monitors and evaluates the implementation of major and critical programs and projects in the region;
5. Sets and formulates the policy framework for a research agenda on regional and subregional socioeconomic and physical development;
6. Provides technical services to development partners (private sector, RLAs, NGOs, LGUs, SUCs, Pos, etc) at the regional, subregional and local levels in the areas of planning, investment programming, project development and evaluation, budgeting,and monitoring and evaluation;
7. Manages and promotes knowledge utilization for regional development and productivity; and
8. Performs such other tasks as may be assigned by the NEDA head office and/or the RDC.