NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY CHAPTER 8: ORGANIZATION Responding FOR NATIONAL SECURITY effectively to the constantly and rapidly changing challenges of the national security environment requires a reliable and coordinated decision-making and policy response mechanism and structure. This is to ensure that national security managers are given timely and accurate information and well-informed advice to enable them to arrive at sound policy decisions. Once the decision is made, this will be properly coordinated to the designated Government agencies for implementation. This is the rationale behind the formation of an Organization for National Security (ONS). To address the NSP’s goals and objectives and the emerging and urgent national security concerns, the Government shall periodically convene the National Security Council (NSC) proper and regularly conduct NSC Executive Committee meetings. The Council Proper is a collegial body with the President as chairman and the following as members, as provided in Executive Order No. 34, series of 2001: eleven (11) members of the Cabinet, sixteen (16) legislative officials, former presidents, and other officials and private citizens who may be called on by the President from time to time. The Executive Committee shall review national security issues and concerns, and formulate positions and/or solutions for consideration by the NSC. It shall determine the agenda and order of business of the NSC, and shall ensure that decisions of the NSC are clearly communicated to the agencies concerned. It shall advise the President on the implementation of decisions. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President as Chairman and the following as members: the Senate President or his representative, the Speaker of the House of Representatives or his representative, the National Security Adviser, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of National Defense, the Secretary of Justice, the Secretary of Interior and Local Government, the NEDA Director General, and other persons, entities or advisers as the President may designate from time to time. To carry out the functions of the NSC and its Executive Committee, the Chairman shall utilize the facilities and expertise of the Cabinet Security Cluster and other government agencies and instrumentalities, and shall promulgate rules and regulations to govern their operations. 28|Page