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Administrative Order No. 241, s. 1996


Published: 1996-01-17

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MALACAÑANG

MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 241

CREATING A SUBSTANTIVE GROUP TO SUPPORT THE 1996 CHAIR OF SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETINGS OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION (APEC) AND ESTABLISHING THE NECESSARY SECRETARIAT THEREFOR

WHEREAS, the Philippines will be the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 1996 which will involve, among others, the chairing of meetings of APEC Senior Officials as well as Ministerial Meetings leading to the fourth APEC Economic Leaders’ Meetings, to be held in Subic in November 1996;

WHEREAS, the APEC hosting by the Philippines is a historic event for the country and its people viewed in the context of being able to steer the future direction of economic cooperation among the eighteen (18) APEC member-economies through their respective Action Plans which shall give substance to the APEC Economic Leaders’ vision of achieving free and open trade and investment in the APEC region by 2010 for industrialized economies and 2020 for developing economies;

WHEREAS, the Philippines attaches great importance to APEC not only because it is a founding member of the organization but, more importantly, recognizing the reality that the country’s sustained economic growth is closely interlinked with trade and investment liberalization in the APEC region;

WHEREAS, to be able to effectively advance Philippine interests in the APEC process, more particularly at the critical level of Senior Officials’ meetings, comprehensive and careful planning is a vital prerequisite that must be met;

WHEREAS, to enable the Chair of APEC Senior Officials to carry out his immense tasks for the Philippines, he will require the support of a Substantive Group which is conversant with all issues, concerns and areas of interest dealt with or covered by the APEC process, namely, trade and investment liberalization and facilitation as well as economic and technical cooperation;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order the following:

SECTION 1. APEC Substantive Group (ASG). An APEC Substantive Group (ASG) is hereby created with the primary responsibility of providing full substantive support to the Chair of APEC Senior Officials. The ASG, which shall be under the direction of the Chair of APEC Senior Officials, shall be composed of senior officials from members of the APEC inter-agency network:

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)

Chair

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)

Vice-Chair

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)

Vice-Chair

Department of Finance (DOF)

Member

Department of Agriculture (DOA)

Member

Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

Member

Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC)

Member

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)

Member

Department of Tourism (DOT)

Member

Department of Energy (DOE)

Member

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)

Member

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)

Member

Department of Budget and Management (DBM)

Member

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)

Member

Philippines Institute for Development Studies (PIDS)

Member

University of the Philippines (UP)

Member

UP-Institute of Small Industries (UP-ISSI)

Member

Philippine Export Zone Authority (PEZA)

Member

Asset Privatization Trust (APT)

Member

Philippine Assistance Program (PAP)

Member

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries (PCCI)

Member

PHILEXPORT Foundation

Member

Philippine Confederation of Manufacturers (PCM)

Member

Asian Institute of Management (AIM)

Member

SEC. 2. ASG Clusters. – The ASG shall be divided into various clusters, with tasks and responsibilities correspondingly associated with each:

Trade and Investment I

Members:
DTI, DFA, NEDA, TC, DOF, BSP

Coverage:
Tariffs, Non-Tariffs Measures

Trade and Investment II

Members:
DTI, BSP, DFA, BOI, PEZA, DOF, NEDA

Coverage:
Standards/Conformance, Investments, Customs Procedure, Rules of Origin

Trade and Investment III

Members:
DTI, BOI, DFA, DOF, DOJ, BSP, NEDA, DBM

Coverage:
Service, Government Procurement

Trade and Investment IV

Members :
DTI, DFA, NEDA, DOF, BSP, DOJ/BID, APT

Coverage :
Investments, Deregulation, Mobility of Business People

Trade and Investment V

Members:
DTI, DFA, NEDA, DOF, DOJ

Coverage:
Competition Policy, IPR, Dispute Mediation

Trade and Investment VI

Members:
DTI, DA, DFA, NEDA, DOF, DENR, DOTC

Coverage:
UR Implementation, Information Gathering and Analysis

Trade and Investment VII

Members:
NEDA, DFA, DOLE, TESDA, DOST, DTI/Bureau of Small and Medium Business Development, BOI, UP-ISSI

Coverage:
SME, Trade Promotion, Trade and Investment Data

Eco-Tech Cooperation I

Members:
NEDA, DFA, DOTC, DOE, DOT, PTTA

Coverage:
Economic Infrastructure, Energy, Transportation, Telecommunications, Tourism

Eco-Tech Cooperation II

Members:
DENR, DFA, DA, NEDA, DOF

Coverage:
Marine Resources Conservation, Fisheries, Environment, Sustainable Development

Eco-Tech Cooperation III

Members:
DA, DFA, DOST, NEDA, PCCI, DOLE,TESDA, CHED

Coverage:
Agricultural Technology, Industrial Science & Technology, HRD

Economic Issues and Outlook

Members:
NEDA, DOF, DTI, BOI, BSP, DA, DFA, PCCI

Coverage:
Economic Issues and Outlook

Private Sector Participation I

Members:
DFA, DTI, PCCI, PEF, PCM, Makati Business Club, AIM, DAP, CRC

Coverage:
APEC Business Advisory Council, Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, Pacific Business Economic Council

Private Sector Participation II

Members:
DFA, DTI, NEDA, PIDS, AFTA, Council

Coverage:
Experts Advisory Group, Admission of New APEC Members, Participation of Non-Members in APEC WGs Activities/Observer Status

Special Projects

Members:
DFA, DTI, NEDA, DOE, DECS, CHED, DENR, PCCI, DPWH, Bankers Association of the Philippines

Coverage:
Partner for Progress (Japan), Public-Private Sector Cooperation in Infrastructure Development (Indonesia), Next Generation Program (Korea), Venture Capital Development (Korea), Business Volunteer Program (Thailand), Education Foundation/Study Centers (USA), 3Es (Japan)

Membership in the above Clusters may be modified or increased from time to time by the Chair of APEC Senior Officials, as dictated by prevailing conditions.

SEC. 3. ASG Regular Meetings.– The ASG Clusters shall meet regularly, collectively or individually, as appropriate, the output of which shall be promptly reported to the Chair of the APEC Senior Officials. The APEC Chair may also call the ASG or any of its Clusters to a meeting whenever deemed necessary or appropriate.

SEC. 4. Coordination with the APEC-NOC and PCAAC. – The ASG, collectively and as individual clusters, shall coordinate its activities with the APEC-NOC. Recommendations of policy and/or substantive character shall be referred to the Executive Committee of the PCAAC for consideration.

SEC. 5. Progress Report to the President.– The Chair of the APEC Senior Officials shall submit, through the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, regular reports to the President of the highlights of every meeting of APEC Senior Officials. Contentious issues shall be immediately reported to the President together with observations and recommendations.

SEC. 6. Detail of Specialists. – All Government agencies named above shall detail to the ASG one or two specialists on issues/subjects covered by or being discussed in APEC which are within their respective areas of jurisdiction. The detail will be for the duration of 1996.

SEC. 7. ASG Secretariat. – The ASG shall have its own Secretariat, provided with the necessary staff, office equipment and supplies, communications facilities and other requirements vital to the effective discharge of its duties and responsibilities. The ASG Secretariat shall be situated at either the PICC, PNB or building of any government agency/institution suited for the purpose.

SEC. 8. ASG Funding. – The ASG shall be allotted FIVE MILLION PESOS (P5,000,000.00) from the President’s contingent fund to cover its costs for the duration of the hosting of APEC in 1996.

SEC. 9. Effectivity. – This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 12th day of January in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Six.

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES

Executive Secretary

Source: Malacañang Records Office

Office of the President of the Philippines. (1996). [Administrative Order. : 201 – 300]. Manila : Malacañang Records Office.