Extending the Operations of the Interagency Task Force for Strategic Planning and Research for Human Rights

January 26, 1996

MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 335

EXTENDING THE OPERATIONS OF THE INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING AND RESEARCH FOR HUMAN RIGHTS TO UPDATE THE PHILIPPINE HUMAN RIGHTS PLAN AND TO PRIME ITS IMPLEMENTATION

WHEREAS, Memorandum Order No. 258, dated 7 February 1995, mandates the Commission on Human Rights to establish an Inter-Agency Task Force, for Strategic Planning and Research for Human Rights Protection, herein referred to as the Task Force;

WHEREAS, the Task Force has formulated a long-term Philippine Human Rights Plan for 1996–2000 (the Plan), which embodies a call to national action for appropriate legislative, administrative and program measures to address the human rights concerns of vulnerable and disadvantaged sectors of the country, namely, Women, Children, Youth, Indigenous Cultural Communities, Muslim Communities, Elderly, Persons with Disabilities, Mentally Disabled Persons, Prisoners/Detainees, Internally Displaced Persons, Migrant Workers, Private Workers, and Public Servants; prcd

WHEREAS, it is necessary to extend the existence of the Task Force to update the Plan to cover other vulnerable sectors, and to prime its implementation;

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 final extension of the operations of the Task Force to update the Plan to cover other vulnerable sectors, such as the urban poor, peasants and fisherfolks and other nonsector based issues not addressed in the first edition of the plan, and to prime its implementation.

SECTION 1. The membership of the Task Force shall be expanded to include the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), in order to effectively sustain their initial participation in the Plan.

SECTION 2. The Commission on Human Rights shall continue to perform overall management responsibilities over the implementation and development of the Plan through the existing network of technical and sectoral working groups of the Task Force.

SECTION 3. The Task Force shall submit within six (6) months an updated Philippine Human Rights Plan incorporating perspective development, nonsector based human rights issues, and other vulnerable sectors, such as urban poor, peasants, and fisherfolks. The Task Force shall periodically inform the Office of the President and relevant branches of government, of the status of the Plan implementation.

SECTION 4. For 1996, the Commission on Human Rights shall be authorized to utilize any savings realized from the 1995 funds allocated for the Plan. Agencies concerned in the implementation and operationalization of the Plan shall likewise be authorized to set aside an amount from their appropriations for the said plan.

SECTION 5. The Task Force shall cease to exist after one (1) year from the signing hereof. The Strategic Planning and International Services under the Office of the Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights shall continue to oversee, and monitor the Plan implementation.

SECTION 6. This Memorandum Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 26th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Six.