Policy Governing Correspondence Between Philippine Government and Foreign Government

August 9, 1974

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 207

TO : Heads of all Government Offices, Agencies and Instrumentalities

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 84, series of 1946, prescribes that all correspondence between the Philippine Government and foreign government should be coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs as a means of coordinating public functions and activities affecting foreign relations; cd

WHEREAS, it has been observed that there have been violations of this Order, to the detriment of national interest;

WHEREAS, strict compliance of this Order should be adhered to as a means to protect our widening diplomatic and trade relations and increased volume, extent, variety, complexity and sophistication of present-day international activities; to enhance intra-agency coordination; and to protect national security and interest;

WHEREFORE, the provisions of Executive Order No. 84 dated January 2, 1946, requiring all communications and correspondence on matters affecting the relations of the Government of the Philippines with foreign countries from Government offices, agencies or instrumentalities to be coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs are hereby reiterated, and strict compliance therewith enjoined, except in the urgent cases mentioned therein, and in such other cases as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs may authorize with any approval. cd

Request of foreign government representatives to meet with the Philippine Government officials, or vice-versa, and reports of such meetings, shall be coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs.

"Foreign Government" shall include the UN or any of its specialized agencies.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 9th day of August, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Four. acd