Creation of Substantive Group To Support 1996 Chair of Senior Officials Meetings of APEC

January 12, 1996 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; cdt 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 SECTION 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. SECTION 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. SECTION 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. SECTION 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 with Observations and recommendations. SECTION 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. SECTION 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. SECTION 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. SECTION 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.