Creation of Office to Enable the Philippines to Qualify and Receive Funding from the Millennium Challenge Corp.

June 6, 2008 DOF DEPARTMENT ORDER NO. 020-08 ( Declared Overtaken by Events by D.O. 29-16 ) In the exigency of service and by virtue of Executive Order No. 607 dated 05 March 2007 creating the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), an Office is hereby created under the Department of Finance (DOF) to perform the following functions and duties necessary for the Philippines to qualify and receive large-scale grant funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) as a Compact eligible country: a. Lead the country's Compact development process and manage the day-to-day relationship with the MCC; b. Undertake the preparation and development of the country's Compact proposal and comply with all the requirements of the MCC in the preparation and development of the country's Compact proposal; c. Initiate a timely, participatory and meaningful consultative process with the country's national and local leaders/officials, civil society, non-governmental organizations, private sector and donors in order to further discuss key constraints to economic growth and poverty reduction, as well as priority activities to help address such constraints; d. Complete the constraints and sector analyses and based on the foregoing identify possible Compact components to propose to the MCC; ETIcHa e. Assist in the submission of the Compact proposal to the MCC and in the negotiation of its approval, signing and entry into force; f. Enjoin other government departments, agencies, offices or instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations, to provide support, assistance and resources to the preparation and development of the country's Compact proposal; and g. Perform such other functions and duties as may be necessary or incidental to its mandate. The Office shall be composed of consultants/advisors augmented by officials and personnel from the Department and other government agencies/offices seconded or detailed to the Office, as may be necessary and appropriate, by the Secretary of Finance. Since the officials and personnel of the Department and other government agencies/offices that may be appointed by the Secretary of Finance to the Office will be rendering services in addition to their regular functions and duties, they are hereby authorized to receive additional compensation chargeable against the funds allocated to the Office in accordance with usual government accounting and auditing rules and regulations and/or subject to availability of funds. The Office shall be headed by the duly designated MCC Point of Contact (POC). The POC shall work on a consultancy basis and shall be responsible, together with his/her team, for developing the proposal and designing the programs that shall be submitted by the Philippines for funding under the MCC Compact program. The POC shall report and take direction and guidance from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the MCA chaired by the Secretary of Finance, with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and the Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority as members. ECcTaS The Office shall be provided with an initial annual allocation of ONE HUNDRED MILLION PESOS (P100,000,000.00) to be drawn from funds to be identified by the Department of Budget and Management. Appropriation or funding requirement of the Office for the succeeding years shall be included in the annual budget of the DOF. This Order shall take effect immediately. Please be guided accordingly. (SGD.) MARGARITO B. TEVES Secretary