Tags: Department of Foreign Affairs, departmental issuances
Kagawaran ng Ugnayang Panlabas
Department of Foreign Affairs

 

DEPARTMENT ORDER NO. 11-12

CREATING THE DFA CRISIS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (CMC)

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. (R.A.) 8042 or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995, as amended by R.A. No. 10022, directs the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to formulate and implement policies and programs to promote and protect the rights and welfare of Filipino migrants, and provide consular and legal assistance to overseas Filipinos in distress;

WHEREAS, the 2000 Crisis Manual designates the Secretary of Foreign Affairs as the Point Person for crises or emergencies involving Filipino nationals in foreign lands or foreign nationals/entities in the Philippines;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 34 series of 2011 created the Overseas Preparedness and Response Team (OPRT) to address the concerns and ensure the safety of overseas Filipinos in times of natural disaster, civil unrest, armed conflicts and other crises in foreign countries;

WHEREAS, in a Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated 3 August 2011, the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs of the DFA was designated as Head of the OPRT Secretariat;

WHEREAS, the threat of political instability and regime change remains present and the unpredictability of natural disasters is likely to affect Filipinos working and residing in foreign land;

WHEREAS, there is also a need to prepare and address threats that may be directed against personnel and department properties and infrastructure in the Home Office, Regional Consular Offices (RCOs) and Foreign Service Posts (FSPs);

WHEREAS, the DFA is a member of Cabinet Cluster E or the Cabinet Cluster on Security and Political Development and is mandated to provide strategic and policy guidance on terrorism, particularly on hostage-taking situations;

WHEREAS, the DFA needs to coordinate with other government agencies in extending assistance to foreign missions in the event of crisis situations involving the nationals of countries with whom the Philippines has diplomatic relations;

NOW, THEREFORE, in view of the foregoing premises, the following are hereby ordered:

Section 1. Definition of Crisis. For the purpose of this D.O., the following events shall constitute a crisis situation:

a. Armed conflict between countries which compromises the safety and security of overseas Filipinos;

b. Armed uprising within a State which compromises the safety and security of overseas Filipinos;

c. Conflict between the Philippines and another country which could lead to reprisals against Filipinos in the other country;

d. Natural and manmade calamities which render Filipinos abroad unable to remain in the foreign country;

e. Medical and health threats such as outbreaks which compromise the health of overseas Filipinos;

f. Other similar scenarios that would imperil the lives of Filipinos in a foreign country;

g. Violence directed towards the FSPs, RCOs or Home Office such as when personnel are held hostage inside the building or are unable to move out or have freedom of movement because of threats, physical or otherwise, outside of it;

h. Medical or health threats concerning the FSPs, RCOs, or Home Office (eg. Anthrax threat, viral threats, etc.);

i. Natural or manmade disasters or calamities affecting the RCO or Home Office;

and

j. Incidents involving diplomatic and consular officials, including their dependents, of accredited foreign missions and international organizations in the Philippines, and foreign nationals or entities in the Philippines (e.g., hostage taking, hijacking, kidnapping, etc.

Section 2. Creation and Composition of the CIVIC. There is hereby created a Crisis Management Committee (CMC) composed of the following:

Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs

Undersecretary for Special Concerns

Undersecretary for Administration

Undersecretary for Policy

Chief Coordinator, OSEC

Assistant Secretary, OSPPC

Assistant Secretary, Concerned Geographic Office

Assistant Secretary, OPAS

Assistant Secretary, OFM

Assistant Secretary, OCA

DFA Spokesperson

Head, OIS

2.1 For crises affecting overseas Filipinos defined under Section 1 (a-f), and as Secretariat Head of the OPRT, the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs shall take the lead in convening, organizing, determining the necessary manpower to compose the CMC, designating functions of each member of the CMC, preparing guidelines, and determining the budget needed to operationalize the CMC.

2.2 For crises defined under Section 1 (g-i) the Undersecretary for Administration shall take the lead in convening, organizing, determining the necessary manpower to compose the CMC, designating functions of each member of the CMC, preparing guidelines, and determining the budget needed to operationalize the CMC.

2.3 For crises defined under Section 1 (j) the Undersecretary for Policy shall take the lead in convening, organizing, determining the necessary manpower to compose the CMC, designating functions of each member of the CMC, preparing guidelines, and determining the budget needed to operationalize the CMC.

2.4 The lead Undersecretary may create a Technical Working Group (TWG) to assist the CMC in carrying out its functions under Section 3.

Section 3. Functions. The CMC, to address the crises defined under Section 1, shall meet regularly and undertake the following functions:

a. Formulate policies and focus on appropriate responses to natural disasters, civil unrest, armed conflicts and other crisis situations;

b. Develop, adopt, implement and monitor interactive operating arrangements with other agencies and formulate strategies to effect maximum coordination and proper resolution of concerns that may arise during crises;

c. Instruct RCOs and FSPs to prepare contingency plans for various crisis situations, update these plans, if necessary, undertake continuing assessment of the said plans, and conduct threat and environmental scanning regularly;

d. Establish a pool of crisis management and technical experts and trained personnel to assist teams that will be deployed by CMC to areas hit by crises;

e. Create crisis response teams and recommend the dispatch of additional personnel to reinforce FSPs and RCOs to ensure systematic repatriation and relocation activities, among others;

f. Establish a monitoring mechanism that regularly gathers and updates information on the identities and locations of overseas Filipinos particularly in crisis-prone regions;

g. Call upon, for assistance, any department, bureau, office, or agency of the government, or private sector partners (such as employment, recruitment, or manning agencies), and coordinate with and/or seek the assistance of bilateral and multilateral partners to formulate and/or implement plans, programs and policies;

h. Conduct regular workshops on risk reduction and crisis management in the DFA;

i. Prepare a comprehensive communication plan that will apprise the public on government actions to ensure the safety of Filipinos and foreign nationals in crisis situations;

j. Direct and conduct other preparedness and contingency measures as may be required by the crisis situation;

k. Recommend a budget and a mechanism for disbursement of funds during crisis situations to facilitate the deployment of teams, hiring of experts, provisions for hazard pay, medical insurance, psychological debriefings, purchase or rental of communication equipment, etc.

l. Conduct debriefing sessions after each mission to identify best practices; and

m. Exercise other functions and powers as may be assigned by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Section 4. Coordination with the OPRT. The creation of the CMC is without prejudice to national crisis management structures such as the OPRT that may be created by the Office of the President. For crises defined under Section 1(a-f), the CMC shall coordinate with the OPRT in addressing the situation.

Section 5. One DFA Team

The Lead Undersecretary may call on any office of the Department, including RCOs and FSPs, to ensure that the Department responds effectively to a crisis situation and performs all mandated tasks listed in Section 3.

Officers and staff of the Lead Undersecretary shall form the primary support unit of the CMC. Officers and staff of other offices who are part of the CMC shall form part of the secondary support unit of the CMC.

Section 6. First Organizational Meeting. The Lead Undersecretaries shall convene the first organizational meeting of the CMC within 30 days from the effectivity of this Order.

Section 7. Effectivity. This order takes effect immediately and rescinds all previous Department Orders on the matter.

(Sgd.) ALBERT F. DEL ROSARIO
Secretary of Foreign Affairs

Pasay City, APR 13, 2012

 

Source: www.dfa.gov.ph


Resources

[PDF]
DFA Department Order No. 11-12, April 13,2012

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