21 DEPARTMENTS IN GOVERNMENT

1. DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM (DAR) (John R. Castriciones / September 10, 1971)

 Responsible for the redistribution of agrarian land in the Philippines.
2. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (DA) (William Dar / June 23, 1898)
 Responsible for the promotion of agricultural and fisheries development and growth.
3. DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANNAGEMENT (DBM) (Wendel Avisado / April 25,
1936)
 Responsible for the sound and efficient use of government resources for national development
and also as an instrument for the meeting of national socio-economic and political development
goals.
4. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DepEd) (Leonor Magtolis Briones / January 21, 1901)
 Responsible for ensuring access to, promoting equity in, and improving the quality of basic
education.
5. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) (Alfonso Cusi / December 09, 1992)
 Responsible for preparing, integrating, manipulating, organizing, coordinating, supervising and
controlling all plans, programs, projects and activities of the Government relative to energy
exploration, development, utilization, distribution and conservation.
6. DEPPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES (DENR) (Gen. Roy
Cimatu. AFP (Ret) / January 01, 1917)
 Responsible for governing and supervising the exploration, development, utilization, and
conservation of the country's natural resources.
7. DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE (DOF) (Carlos Dominguez III, Paola Alvares(SP) / March 17,
1897)
 Responsible for the formulation, institutionalization and administration of fiscal policies,
management of the financial resources of the government, supervision of the revenue
operations of all local government units, the review, approval and management of all public
sector debt, and the rationalization, privatization and public accountability of corporations and
assets owned, controlled or acquired by the government.
8. DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (DFA) (Teodoro Locsin Jr. / June 28 1898)
 Tasked to contribute to the enhancement of national security and the protection of the territorial
integrity and national sovereignty, to participate in the national endeavor of sustaining
development and enhancing the Philippines' competitive edge, to protect the rights and promote
the welfare of Filipinos overseas and to mobilize them as partners in national development, to
project a positive image of the Philippines, and to increase international understanding of
Philippine culture for mutually-beneficial relations with other countries.
9. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH) ( Francisco T. Duque III / September 10, 1898)
 Responsible for ensuring access to basic public health services by all Filipinos through the
provision of quality health care and the regulation of all health services and products.
10. DEPPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENT AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (DHSUD)
(Eduardo del Rosario / February 14, 2019)
 Responsible for the management of housing and related development in the Philippines.
11. DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (DICT)
(Gregorio Honasan / June 09, 2016)
 Responsible for the planning, development and promotion of the country's information and
communications technology (ICT) agenda in support of national development.
12. DEPPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (DILG) (Eduardo Año
/ September 21, 1897)
 Responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public safety and strengthening local
government capability aimed towards the effective delivery of basic services to the citizenry.
13. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) (Menardo Guevarra / September 26, 1898)
 Responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines. It is the government's principal
law agency, serving as its legal counsel and prosecution arm.
14. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ( DOLE) (Silvestre Bello III / December 08,
1933)
 Mandated to formulate policies, implement programs and services, and serve as the policy-
coordinating arm of the Executive Branch in the field of labor and employment. It is tasked
with the enforcement of the provisions of the Labor Code.
15. DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE (DND) (Delfin Lorenzana / November 01, 1939)
  Responsible for guarding against external and internal threats to peace and security in the
country. It is also responsible for disaster preparation and management in the country.
16. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS ( DPWH) (Mark Villar / January 24,
1899 – Jan 30, 1981)
 Solely vested with the Mandate to “be the State's engineering and construction arm” and, as
such, it is “tasked to carry out the policy” of the State to “maintain an engineering and
construction arm and continuously develop its technology, for the purposes of ensuring the
safety of all infrastructure facilities and securing for all public works and highways the highest
efficiency and the most appropriate quality in construction” and shall be responsible for “(t)he
planning, design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure facilities, especially national
highways, flood control and water resources development systems, and other public works in
accordance with national development objectives,” provided that, the exercise of which “shall
be decentralized to the fullest extent feasible.”
17. DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DOST) (Fortunato de la Peña / January
30, 1987)
 Responsible for the coordination of science and technology-related projects in the Philippines
and to formulate policies and projects in the fields of science and technology in support of
national development.
18. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT (DSWD) (Rolando Joselito
D. Bautista / November 01, 1939)
 Responsible for the protection of the social welfare of rights of Filipinos and to promote social
development.
19. DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM (DOT) (Bernadette Romulo-Puyat / May 11, 1973)
 Responsible for the regulation of the Philippine tourism industry and the promotion of the
Philippines as a tourist destination.
20. DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AAND INDUSTRY (DTI) (Ramon M. Lopez / September 01, 1901)
 Tasked as the main economic catalyst that enables innovative, competitive, job generating,
inclusive business, and empowers consumers. It acts as catalyst for intensified private sector
activity in order to accelerate and sustain economic growth through comprehensive industrial
growth strategy, progressive and socially responsible trade
liberalization and deregulation programs and policymaking designed for the expansion and
diversification of Philippine trade - both domestic and foreign.
21. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (DOTr) (Arthur Tugade / January 23, 1899)
 Responsible for the maintenance and expansion of viable, efficient, and dependable
transportation systems as effective instruments for national recovery and economic progress.