Executive departments of the Philippines

Executive departments are the largest component of the executive branch of the government of the Philippines. These departments comprise the largest part of the country's bureaucracy.

Current executive departments

All departments are listed by their present-day name with their English names on top and Filipino names at the other column. Department heads are listed at the Cabinet of the Philippines article.

Department	Native name	Seal	Formed	Head
				Title	Titleholder	Portrait
Department of Agrarian Reform	Kagawaran ng Repormang Pangsaka		September 10, 1971;53 years ago (1971-09-10)	Secretary of Agrarian Reform	Conrado Estrella III
Department of Agriculture	Kagawaran ng Pagsasaka		June 23, 1898;126 years ago (1898-06-23)	Secretary of Agriculture	Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
Department of Budget and Management	Kagawaran ng Badyet at Pamamahala		April 25, 1936;89 years ago (1936-04-25)	Secretary of Budget and Management	Amenah Pangandaman
Department of Economy, Planning, and Development	Kagawaran ng Ekonomiya, Pagpaplano, at Pagpapaunlad		December 23, 1935;89 years ago (1935-12-23) [1]	Secretary of Economy, Planning, and Development	Arsenio Balisacan
Department of Education	Kagawaran ng Edukasyon		January 21, 1901;124 years ago (1901-01-21)	Secretary of Education	Sonny Angara
Department of Energy	Kagawaran ng Enerhiya		December 9, 1992;32 years ago (1992-12-09)	Secretary of Energy	Raphael Lotilla
Department of Environment and Natural Resources	Kagawaran ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Yaman		January 1, 1917;108 years ago (1917-01-01)	Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources	Toni Yulo-Loyzaga
Department of Finance	Kagawaran ng Pananalapi		April 17, 1897;128 years ago (1897-04-17)	Secretary of Finance	Ralph Recto
Department of Foreign Affairs	Kagawaran ng Ugnayang Panlabas		June 23, 1898;126 years ago (1898-06-23)	Secretary of Foreign Affairs	Enrique Manalo
Department of Health	Kagawaran ng Kalusugan		September 10, 1898;126 years ago (1898-09-10)	Secretary of Health	Ted Herbosa
Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development	Kagawaran ng Pananahanang Pantao at Pagpapaunlad ng Kalunsuran		February 14, 2019;6 years ago (2019-02-14)	Secretary of Human Settlements and Urban Development	Jose Acuzar
Department of Information and Communications Technology	Kagawaran ng Teknolohiyang Pang-Impormasyon at Komunikasyon		June 9, 2016;9 years ago (2016-06-09)	Secretary of Information and Communications Technology	Henry Aguda
Department of the Interior and Local Government	Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal		March 22, 1897;128 years ago (1897-03-22)	Secretary of the Interior and Local Government	Jonvic Remulla
Department of Justice	Kagawaran ng Katarungan		April 17, 1897;128 years ago (1897-04-17)	Secretary of Justice	Jesus Crispin Remulla
Department of Labor and Employment	Kagawaran ng Paggawa at Empleo		December 8, 1933;91 years ago (1933-12-08)	Secretary of Labor and Employment	Bienvenido Laguesma
Department of Migrant Workers	Kagawaran ng Manggagawang Pandarayuhan		February 3, 2022;3 years ago (2022-02-03)	Secretary of Migrant Workers	Hans Cacdac
Department of National Defense	Kagawaran ng Tanggulang Pambansa		November 1, 1939;85 years ago (1939-11-01)	Secretary of National Defense	Gilbert Teodoro
Department of Public Works and Highways	Kagawaran ng mga Pagawain at Lansangang Bayan		June 23, 1898;126 years ago (1898-06-23)	Secretary of Public Works and Highways	Manuel Bonoan
Department of Science and Technology	Kagawaran ng Agham at Teknolohiya		January 30, 1987;38 years ago (1987-01-30)	Secretary of Science and Technology	Renato Solidum Jr.
Department of Social Welfare and Development	Kagawaran ng Kagalingan at Pagpapaunlad Panlipunan		November 1, 1939;85 years ago (1939-11-01)	Secretary of Social Welfare and Development	Rex Gatchalian
Department of Tourism	Kagawaran ng Turismo		May 11, 1973;52 years ago (1973-05-11)	Secretary of Tourism	Christina Frasco
Department of Trade and Industry	Kagawaran ng Kalakalan at Industriya		June 23, 1898;126 years ago (1898-06-23)	Secretary of Trade and Industry	Cristina Aldeguer-Roque
Department of Transportation	Kagawaran ng Transportasyon		January 23, 1899;126 years ago (1899-01-23)	Secretary of Transportation	Vince Dizon

Former executive departments

The departments listed below are defunct agencies which have been abolished, integrated, reorganized or renamed into the existing executive departments of the Philippines.

First Republic

• Department of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce
• Department of Communications and Public Works
• Department of the Interior
• Department of Foreign Relations
• Department of Public Education
• Department of Wars and Marine
• Department of Finance

Commonwealth Period

• Department of Agriculture and Commerce
• Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Department of Commerce and Police
• Department of Health and Public Welfare
• Department of Finance and Justice
• Department of Instruction
• Department of Labor
• Department of National Defense
• Department of Public Instruction

Third Republic

• Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Department of Commerce and Industry
• Department of General Services
• Department of Social Welfare

Martial law era (Fourth Republic)

• Ministry of Agriculture and Food
• Ministry of Education and Culture
• Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports
• Ministry of Human Settlements
• Ministry of Industry
• Ministry of Labor
• Ministry of Local Government and Community Development
• Ministry of National Defense
• Ministry of Natural Resources
• Ministry of Public Highways
• Ministry of Public Information
• Ministry of Public Works, Transportation and Communications
• Ministry of Social Services and Development
• Ministry of Trade and Tourism
• Ministry of Youth and Sports Development

Fifth Republic

• Department of Education, Culture and Sports
• Department of Environment, Energy and Natural Resources
• Department of Land Reform
• Department of Transportation and Communications

Agencies elevated to department rank

• Budget Commission → Ministry of Budget and Management (1978)
• National Science and Technology Authority → Department of Science and Technology (1987)
• Office of Energy Affairs → Department of Energy (1992)
• Office of Information and Communications Technology → Department of Information and Communications Technology (2016)
• Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council → Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (2019)
• Philippine Overseas Employment Administration → Department of Migrant Workers (2021)
• National Economic and Development Authority → Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (2025)

Proposed executive departments

• "Department of Culture" ^[2] or "Department of Arts and Culture" ^[3]
• "Department of Disaster Resilience" ^{[4] [5]}
• "Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources", proposed by then-Senator Francis Pangilinan ^[6] and House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. ^[7]
• "Department of Homeland and Security", proposed by then-Senator Manny Pacquiao and Philippine Public Safety College analyst Mark Pablo. ^{[8] [9]}
• "Department of Sports" ^[10]
• "Department of Water Resources" ^[11]

See also

• Cabinet of the Philippines – the heads of the executive departments of the Philippines
• List of Cabinets of the Philippines

References

1. "About DEPDev".
2. Quismorio, Ellson. "Culture, art agencies to get budget boost from proposed Department of Culture". Manila Bulletin . Retrieved July 31, 2020.
3. Rosario, Ben (July 21, 2020). "House Speaker seeks creation of Department of Arts and Culture to promote PH arts". Manila Bulletin . Retrieved July 31, 2020.
4. Acosta, Renzo (January 19, 2020). "Senate to prioritize creation of Department of Disaster Resilience". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Retrieved July 31, 2020.
5. "LIST: Stimulus bills, new departments top Duterte's Congress wish list". CNN Philippines . July 27, 2020. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
6. "Bill seeks creation of dep't of fisheries". Philippine Daily Inquirer . September 12, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
7. de la Cruz, Jovee Marie (October 10, 2019). "From a bureau to a department: House leaders propose BFAR transformation". Business Mirror . Retrieved July 31, 2020.
8. Talabong, Rambo (September 9, 2018). "Creation of PH homeland security department eyed as key vs terrorism". RAPPLER. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
9. "18th Congress - Senate Bill No. 194 - Senate of the Philippines". legacy.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
10. "Bill for creation of Department of Sports being proposed". Rappler . August 19, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
11. Reganit, Jose Cielito (November 12, 2019). "House panels approve Department of Water Resources creation". Philippine News Agency . Retrieved July 31, 2020.

External links

• Philippine government portal