Granting Certain Exemptions, Privileges and Immunities to the Asean Crops Post-Harvest Programme and Foreign Nationals of its Technical Team

November 13, 1984

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 995

GRANTING CERTAIN EXEMPTIONS, PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES TO THE ASEAN CROPS POST-HARVEST PROGRAMME AND FOREIGN NATIONALS OF ITS TECHNICAL TEAM

WHEREAS, the government recognizes the extent and magnitude of the problems concomitant to Food Post-Production System that have been besetting not only the nation's thrust on food production but also Asia as a whole;

WHEREAS, to formulate solutions to such problems and to undertake cooperative work on Post-Harvest Research and Development, a collaborative program was embarked on, participated in by international donor agencies and the five countries comprising the ASEAN, known as the South-East Asia Cooperative Post-Harvest Research and Development Programme and lately renamed as ASEAN Crops Post-Harvest Programme, hereinafter referred to as the Programme;

WHEREAS, donors have seconded the appointment to the Programme, a group of professionals in the field of grains processing, grains storage, milling and similar fields of post-harvest specialization which now compose the Programme's Technical Team;

WHEREAS, with the recent designation of the Philippines as the Programme's host country and the National Food Authority as Executing Agency, the Philippines is mandated to work out for the same exemptions, privileges and immunities extended by SEARCA to the Technical Team since the Inception of the Programme in 1976.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby direct and order:

SECTION 1. For the duration of the designation of the Philippines as host country and the National Food Authority as Executing Agency of the ASEAN Crops Post-Harvest Programme, all importation of materials, equipment or goods purchased for the purpose of the Programme and required for its operations and activities are hereby declared exempt from the payment of all taxes, duties and fees.

SECTION 2. For the same duration as hereinabove mentioned, the Members of the Programme's Technical team except those who are Filipino citizen, shall be exempt from the payment of income tax on all salaries, wages and other compensations derived from work for the Programme. They shall likewise be exempt from the payment of import duties, excise duties and sales tax on personal and household effects, including one motor vehicle per expatriate if purchased within the first six (6) months of arrival in the Philippines.

SECTION 3. In addition to the foregoing and under the same condition as set forth in the next two preceding paragraphs, the Members of the Programme's Technical Team shall enjoy such other privileges and exemptions as are usually accorded to official representatives of foreign governments. CAIHTE

SECTION 4. All laws, decrees, orders, proclamations, rules, regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 5. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 13th day of November, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-four.