Section 2
SEC. 2. Creation of Human Settlements and Planning Commission. For the purpose of carrying out the above declared policy, there is hereby created a Human Settlements and Planning Commission, hereinafter referred to as the Commission, which shall be under the Office of the President of the Philippines. The Commission shall be composed of the Secretary of National Defense, the Secretary of Public Works, Transportation and Communications, the Secretary of Local Government and Community Development, the Chairman of the Board of Investments, or their representatives, and the incumbent Chairman of the Task Force on Human Settlements. The President of the Philippines shall appoint from among the above-mentioned officials the Chairman of the Commission, who shall also be an ex-officio member of the Development Budget Coordination Committee of the National Economic and Development Authority. The Chairman and members of the Commission shall serve without compensation, but may receive allowances while engaged in official assignments for the Commission. The Commission shall meet regularly at least once a month. The Commission shall appoint and maintain an adequate Administrative staff. It shall also have a working staff which shall consist of the working staff of the Task Force on Human Settlements created and organized pursuant to Executive Order No. 419, and Presidential Decree No. 297, both dated September 19, 1973. The Planning and Project Development Office of the Department of Public Work, Transportation and Communications is hereby integrated with the working staff of the Task Force on Human Settlements. Their powers and functions, appropriations, records, assets and liabilities, rights, choses in action, and obligations are transferred to, vested in and assumed by the Commission. The working staff shall undertake and perform such functions, duties and activities as are now assigned to it by the aforesaid Executive Order, and those that may be required by the Commission. The terms and conditions of employment of the members of the above-named working staff shall continue to be governed by the provisions of the aforesaid Executive Order. In view of the fact that human settlements approach is a new approach to development, even internationally, the personnel of the working staff, whether recruited by the Commission or detailed to its service upon its request, are hereby declared policy-determining, primarily confidential or highly technical: Provided, That except as to positions which are policy-determining, primarily confidential or highly technical, all positions in the administrative staff but not the working staff of the Commission are subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Law, rules and regulations, but are exempt from the rules and regulations of the Wage and Position Classification Office: Provided, further, That the professional and technical personnel of the working staff shall be permanent and career in status without prejudice to transfer, detail, assignment, promotion, discipline and dismissal in accordance with the Commission’s personnel management program and shall be entitled to benefits and privileges normally accorded to government employees.