MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has reorganized the Strategic Action and Response (STAR) Office under the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) to ensure efficient and responsive delivery of critical government services.

Marcos on Tuesday signed Executive Order (EO) 38, giving the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for General Administration (ODESGA) the authority to have supervision and control over the STAR Office and all its constituent offices.

EO 38 abolishes the Cabinet Undersecretary position in the STAR Office, stating that it would now be headed by an Assistant Secretary who will report directly to the DESGA.

The Assistant Secretary will be assisted by two Director IVs, each tasked to head the Presidential Action Center and the 8888 Citizen’s Complaint Center.

“It is imperative to reorganize the STAR Office to ensure coherence of its organizational structure, functions and staffing pattern,” according to the EO.

The STAR Office and its constituent offices are directed to continue to operate and function under existing mandates, as prescribed under relevant laws and issuances.

“Subject to the approval of the Executive Secretary, the DESGA shall have the continuing authority to assess and evaluate the organizational structure, staffing pattern, and the corresponding qualification standards for all positions under the STAR Office, and on the basis thereof, transfer, delineate, reassign or reorganize the STAR Office and its constituent offices as may be necessary,” the EO reads.

“For this purpose, the DESGA, in coordination with the Office of the Deputy Secretary for Finance and Administration, shall submit to the Department of Budget and Management, for review and approval, a revised organizational structure and staffing pattern of the STAR Office.”

Established under EO 9 issued in 2016, the STAR Office is tasked to promote timely action and response to public concerns and strengthen the PACE system to increase the responsiveness of government services.

The STAR Office was initially under the supervision of the now-defunct Office of the Cabinet Secretary (OCS).

In 2018, EO 67 was issued, transferring the supervision and control of the STAR Office and its constituent offices from the OCS to the OES. EO 38, which was made public on Friday, takes effect immediately. (PNA)