Creation of Philippine Host Committee for 1998 Asean Tourism Forum, etc.

January 6, 1998

ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 373

CREATING A PHILIPPINE HOST COMMITTEE FOR THE 1998 ASEAN TOURISM FORUM, PACIFIC AREA TOURISM ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE AND WORLD CONGRESS, AND THE INTERNATIONAL HOTEL AND RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION CONGRESS

WHEREAS, the Philippine Government, in line with its current thrust of Pole vaulting to the 21^st Century aims to establish the country as "Asia's Next Shopping and Tourism Capital";

WHEREAS, the Philippines, as member of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), the Pacific Area Tourism Association (PATA) and the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA), has committed to host the annual gathering of these organizations in 1998 to highlight the global competitiveness of our country in the area of tourism and provide worldwide publicity for the Centennial Celebration of the Philippine Independence in 1998;

WHEREAS, the hosting by the Philippines of these prestigious international events will contribute positively to the country's projection as a competitive tourist destination for leisure/holidays, shopping, business, meetings/conventions, heritage tours, ecotourism/adventure, special interest tours, and exhibitions and will ultimately redound to more substantial economic benefits; and,

WHEREAS, there is need to constitute an Inter-Agency Committee that will ensure the successful conduct of these events on 08-15 January 1998 (ATF), 25-28 March 1998 (PATA Conference); 28 March 1998 to 02 April 1998 (PATA Chapters World Congress) and 22-26 October 1998 (IHRA Congress).

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:

SECTION 1. Creation of the Philippine Host Committee for the 1998 ATF , PATA Conference and World Congress and the IHRA Congress. — There is hereby created a Philippine Host Committee, hereinafter referred to as the Committee, to plan, prepare for, oversee and supervise the conduct of the 1998 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in January 1998; the Pacific Area Tourism Association Conference and Chapters World Congress (PATA) in March 1998, and the Annual International Hotel and Restaurant Association Congress in October 1998.

SECTION 2. Composition of the Committee. — The Committee shall be composed of the Secretary of Tourism, as Chairperson, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, as Co-Chairperson and Private Sector Tourism Industry Representative (to be designated by the DOT Secretary) as Vice-Chairperson, and the senior representatives of the following agencies, as members:

a. Department of the Interior and Local Government

b. Department of National Defense

c. Department of Budget and Management

d. Department of Transportation and Communications

e. Department of Public Works and Highways

f. Department of Trade and Industry

g. Department of Agriculture

h. Department of Health

i. Department of Education, Culture and Sports

j. Department of Social Welfare and Development

k. Department of Energy

l. Office of the Press Secretary

m. Bureau of Immigration and Deportation

n. Manila International Airport Authority

o. Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority

p. Bureau of Customs

The Committee Chairperson shall designate two (2) other private sector representatives from the tourism industry as members of the Committee.

SECTION 3. Functions of the Committee. — The Committee shall exercise the following functions and responsibilities:

a. Coordinate with the private sector and various government agencies to ensure that all the requirements for the events are attended to and implemented;

b. Ensure that the economic advantages of the events are maximized through a concerted and cost-effective country team approach;

c. Negotiate and conclude contracts relative to the events, including services of consultants whose term of office is co-terminus with the project;

d. Call upon the assistance of any department, bureau or office of the Government, including government-owned and -controlled corporations to render such assistance as the Committee may need in the discharge of its functions;

e. Submit periodic reports to the President on the status of preparations for the three (3) international events and post-activity reports after the conduct of said conferences;

f. Perform such other functions/tasks as may be directed by the President.

SECTION 4. Secretariat. — A composite secretariat to be composed of members from the Department of Tourism and the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation shall provide administrative and technical support to the committee.

SECTION 5. Funding. — Funding for the four (4) international conferences shall be sourced mainly from the Trust Liability Account of the Department of Tourism and from unreleased appropriation for the hosting of international conferences from the 1997 International Commitment Fund, as shall be determined by the Department of Budget and Management. The funds shall be released to the Department of Tourism, as Chair of the Committee, subject to regular accounting and auditing procedures.

The Committee is hereby given authority to solicit donations, grants, contributions, sponsorships and/or any form of assistance from private and government entities.

SECTION 6. Term of the Committee. — The Committee shall cease to exist upon termination of the projects in 1998.

SECTION 7. Effectivity. — This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 6th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Eight.