MALACAÑANG

MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 203

ESTABLISHING AN INTER-AGENCY COMMITTEE ON THE SHARED GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR MIGRATION

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the State to uphold the dignity of its citizens, whether in the country or overseas;

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the State to protect the interests of labor in general, as well as that of overseas migrant workers in particular, whether documented or irregular;

WHEREAS, the State recognizes not only the important contribution of overseas migrant workers to the country, but also the vulnerable situations they are often placed in;

WHEREAS, in order for the government agencies to fully, swiftly and in unity address general and specific concerns of migrant workers and overseas Filipinos, there is a need for government agencies to have access to related information;

WHEREAS, Republic Act 8042, otherwise known as the “Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995” provides for the establishment of a Shared Government Information System for Migration

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

Section 1. Establishment of the Inter-Agency Committee on the Shared Government Information System for Migration. The Inter-Agency Committee on the Shared Government Information System for Migration (IAC-SGISM) is hereby established.

Sec. 2. Composition of the IAC-SGISM. Said Inter-Agency Committee shall be composed of the following agencies:

a) Department of Foreign Affairs, as Chairman;

b) Department of Labor and Employment, as Vice-chairman;

c) Department of Justice;

d) Department of Tourism;

e) Bureau of Immigration;

f) Commission on Filipinos Overseas;

g) National Bureau of Investigation;

h) National Statistics Office;

i) Overseas Workers Welfare Administration; and

j) Philippine Overseas Employment Administration

Sec. 3. Support Agencies. The IAC-SGISM may seek the assistance and support of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Computer Center, National Labor Relations Commission, National Statistical Coordination Board, Philippine National Police (PNP), Office of the Presidential Adviser for OFW Affairs, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office in the implementation of its mandate.

A Technical Committee shall be created from among the IAC and the support agencies in the development and implementation of the SGISM.

Sec. 4. Information Sharing. The Inter-Agency Committee shall initially tap the information contained in existing database/files. The second phase shall involve the linkaging of computer facilities in order to allow free-flow data exchanges and sharing among the agencies concerned.

Sec. 5. Security and Confidentiality of Data/Information. — Information and data acquired through this shared information system shall be treated as confidential and shall only be used for lawful and official purposes, in connection with the usual functions of the member agencies, and for purposes envisioned by R.A. 8042.

Accordingly, access and use of the said data/information shall be limited to the heads of agencies, their deputies/assistants, and officers who are directly responsible in implementing the agency’s participation in the IAC-SGISM.

Access of other staff to selected data/information will be on a need-to-know basis and will require the appropriate security clearance from the head of agency.

Member-agencies of the IAC and the support agencies will formulate the necessary guidelines that will define the levels of access and security guidelines for this purpose.

The IAC and the Support Agencies will work towards the promotion of transparency on the matter of sharing data not only among themselves, but with the public, and ultimately declassify data with a view of promoting public participation in policy making and program development.

Sec. 6. Sharing of Databases. The Inter-Agency Committee and the Support Agencies shall convene to identify existing databases which shall be declassified and shared only by and among member agencies. These shared databases shall include, but not limited to the following:

a) Masterlists of Filipino migrant workers/Filipino emigrants/Filipino fiancees/spouses of foreign nationals and other categories of Filipino nationals overseas classified according to occupation/job category, age, sex, civil status, by country/state of destination, including visa classification;

b) Inventory of pending legal cases involving Filipino migrant workers and other Filipino nationals, including those serving prison terms;

c) Masterlists by age and sex of departing/arriving Filipinos;

d) Statistical profile on Filipino migrant workers/Filipino emigrants/Filipino fiancees/spouses of foreign nationals/Filipino tourists and other agencies of Filipino nationals overseas;

e) Blacklisted foreigners/undesirable aliens, including, but not limited to serial/multiple sponsors of Filipino fiancees/spouses, and those involved in reported cases of domestic violence and other offenses against Filipino nationals or violations of the laws of the Philippines;

f) Data on legal systems, immigration policies, marriage laws and civil and criminal codes in destination countries, particularly those with large numbers of Filipinos;

g) List of labor and other human rights instruments where destination countries are signatories;

h) A tracking system of past and present gender disaggregated cases involving migrant workers;

i) List of overseas posts which may render assistance to overseas Filipinos, in general, and migrant workers, in particular;

j) List of accredited recruiters and recruitment agencies;

k) List of accredited foreign employers;

l) List of recruiter and recruitment agencies with decided/pending criminal/civil/administrative cases, and their dispositions;

m) Status of complaints for money claims and other legal cases filed by Filipino migrants before appropriate courts and adjudication bodies in the country;

n) Established protocols or guidelines governing enforcement of laws, handling and adjudication of cases, and other procedures relevant to the various processes involved in the different stages of the migration process;

o) List of children issued travel clearance, children for adoption abroad and children for repatriation/repatriated, list of women and children trafficked;

p) Compilation of recent economic/political conditions or situationers in countries where there are Filipino migrant workers;

q) Treaties which may directly or indirectly affect Filipino migrant workers; and

r) Other information which may be established as essential for data sharing by the IAC and the Support Agencies.

The sharing of the above-enumerated database and other information shall be governed by the guidelines to be established by the IAC and Support Agencies.

Sec. 7. Reporting. The Inter-Agency Committee and the Support Agencies shall submit appropriate reports and recommendations to the President. It shall also provide relevant and factual information as basis for the joint report to Congress by the DFA and DOLE.

Sec. 8. Secretariat. A secretariat, which shall provide administrative and support services to the Inter-Agency Committee, shall be provided for by the DFA.

Sec. 9. Funding. The amount of Ten Million Pesos (P20M) from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office is hereby allocated to carry out the provisions of this Executive Order. Thereafter, the actual budget of the Inter-Agency Committee shall be drawn from the General Appropriations Act in accordance with Section 38 of R.A. 8042.

Sec. 10. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 20th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, two thousand.

(Sgd.) JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA
Executive Secretary

Source: Presidential Management Staff

Office of the President of the Philippines. (2000). [Executive Order Nos. : 1 – 338]. Manila : Presidential Management Staff.