Re-activation of Office of the President Coordinating Committee for State Visits to Canada and USA

November 12, 1997

MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 451

RE-ESTABLISHING AND RE-ACTIVATING THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT COORDINATING CENTER (OPCC) FOR THE STATE VISITS TO CANADA AND THE U.S.A.

WHEREAS, the OPCC was established as an ad-hoc body in the Office of the President to provide timely information to the President on evolving critical issues and developments during the period of the president's conduct of foreign visits;

WHEREAS, the OPCC was initially activated on 24-hour operation during the state visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 26-30 January 1993 and was last reactivated during the President's visit to Hongkong, Myanmar and Laos on 13-18 October 1997;

WHEREAS, there is a need to establish a high level monitoring and reporting system that will cover all sectors and issues nationwide during the Foreign Visit of the President to Canada and the U.S.;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby re-establish and re-activate the operation of the Office of the President Coordinating Center during the Visit to Canada and the U.S. (18 November to 2 December 1997).

SECTION 1. Composition. — The OPCC will be under the overall supervision and responsibility of an Executive Committee with the Executive secretary as Chairman, Secretaries of National Defense, Interior and Local Government as Vice Chairmen, and the National Security Adviser, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, Senior Deputy Executive Secretary, Head of the Presidential Management Staff, and Press Secretary as members.

The OPCC Chairman shall coordinate with the Vice-President, Senate President, and the Speaker of the House whenever necessary.

SECTION 2. Functions. — The functions of the OPCC shall primarily include:

a. Provide timely information to the President on evolving critical issues and development during the period through the regular submission of OPCC Bulletins;

b. Provide a feedback system among and between agencies and the OP in carrying out the President's Directives while in Canada and the U.S.A.;

c. Provide a channel of coordination and collaboration in the management of government affairs during the President's absence;

d. Conduct regular meetings to assess the situation and the operations of the Center; and,

e. Undertake other activities that may be directed by the President.

SECTION 3. Operating Structure. — The OPCC will be operational for the period from 180800 November 1997 to 022000 December 1997 and will involve the participation and cooperation of departments and agencies under the Executive Branch to be grouped into the following operating units:

a. Expanded Task Force Lily composed of the DA/NIA, SRA, DILG/PNP, DFA, DND, DOF/BIR, DOJ/NBI, DOE/NPC/NEA, DOTC, DPWH/MWSS, DOLE/OWWA, DTI MMDA, OPS, OP (Legal, PACE, OES), NICA, Mt. Pinatubo Commission, and PAs for Political Affairs, Military Affairs, Police Affairs, and Legislative Liaison;

b. Counterpart Coordinating Centers in all Departments and Agencies including Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations;

c. Regional Coordination Centers composed of heads of all regional offices nationwide; and,

d. OPCC Support Groups:

o Media Support Group composed of the OPS as lead agency, PR groups of government agencies including GOCCs and other outfits involved in media and communication;

o OPCC Secretariat composed of the PMS; and

o RCC Secretariat composed of the PNP Regional Staff.

The OPCC may call upon any government agency or instrumentality to participate and cooperate in the monitoring activities as may be necessary. For this purpose, all Cabinet members and Heads of Agencies will provide the OPCC Secretariat with the telephone number(s) where they can be accessed on a 24-hour basis.

SECTION 4. Expanded Task Force Lily. — The Expanded Task Force Lily headed by the Senior Deputy Executive Secretary will operate on a 24-hour basis at the 4^th Floor of the New Executive Building (NEB), Malacañang, Manila. The member agencies will designate senior officials of their respective departments/agencies who will undertake 12-hour shifts at the NEB. The said senior officials should have ranks of at least Undersecretary or Asst. Secretary (for departments) or should be the head of agency, deputy head of agency, or senior manager/director (for other agencies)

The Expanded Task Force Lily will focus their monitoring and coordinating activities on security, peace and order, and other critical issues and services (e.g., rice, oil situation, calamity, power situation, etc.). In line with this, they will submit reports to the OPCC, through its Secretariat at 4-hour intervals.

Departments/agencies under the Expanded Task Force Lily will share computer and communication equipment for their NEB operations for the duration of the President's Visit.

SECTION 5. Counterpart Coordinating Centers. — The Counterpart Coordinating Centers (CCCs) in all Departments and Agencies including GOCCs will be re-established in their respective Office primarily to monitor and coordinate their respective sectors. Said Centers will operate on a 24-hour basis under the supervision of duly-designated action officers with ranks of at least Undersecretary or Asst. Secretary (for departments) or should be the head of agency, deputy head of agency, or senior manager/director (for other agencies). The said action officers should have access to their department/agency heads on a 24-hour basis.

The CCCs will submit monitoring reports on their respective sectors at 6-hour intervals to the OPCC Secretariat.

SECTION 6. Regional Coordinating Centers. — The Regional Directors of the Department of the Interior and Local Government will ensure the establishment of Regional Coordinating Centers (RCCs) in their respective regions by 020800H November 1997.

The RCCs which shall be chaired by the Regional Director, PNP, will operate on a 24-hour basis and will be based at the PNP Regional Headquarters. The member agencies will designate senior officials of their respective offices who will undertake 12-hour shifts at the PNP Regional Headquarters. The said senior officials should have ranks of at least Director III/II or should be the head/deputy of the regional office.

The RCCs will focus their monitoring and coordinating activities on regional developments and activities. In line with this, they will submit reports directly to the OPCC, through its Secretariat, at 6-hour intervals.

Departments/agencies under the RCCs will share computer and communication equipment and office supplies for their operations for the duration of the President's Visit.

SECTION 7. OPCC Support Groups. — The following will serve as support units to the OPCC:

a. Media Support Group. Composed of the OPS as lead agency, OPS-attached agencies, PR groups of government agencies including GOCCs and other outfits involved in media and communication. It will monitor and assess tri-media reports, prepare press statements on actions taken on issues and concerns raised by the media based on inputs provided by the OPS or OPCC and ensure the dissemination of press statements to tri-media networks. cdt

It will be supervised by a senior official of the OPS with the rank of at least an Assistant Secretary. Its personnel and duty officers will undertake 12-hour shifts at the OPS, Kalayaan Hall, Malacañang Palace.

b. OPCC Secretariat composed of PMS personnel and supervised by a senior official will operate at the 8th Floor, Operations Room, PMS Building, Arlegui Street, Malacañang. The OPCC Secretariat will provide the overall technical and administrative support to the OPCC on a 24-hour basis, including the consolidation of monitoring reports for submission to the OPCC Chairman/Execom duty Officer.

c. RCC Secretariat composed of the PNP Regional Staff will operate at the PNP Regional Headquarters. The RCC Secretariat will provide the overall technical and administrative support to the RCC on a 24-hour basis, including the consolidation of monitoring reports of the RCC for submission to the OPCC Secretariat for overall integration.

SECTION 8. OPCC Supervision. — The operation of the OPCC will be supervised on a 24-hour rotation basis by the OPCC Chairman, Vice-Chairmen or a member of the Executive Committee. OPCC reports to the President will be signed by the OPCC Chairman or the Duty Officer (Vice Chairmen or member of Executive Committee).

SECTION 9. Funding Support. — The OP-Finance will provide the necessary funding for the regular operations of OPCC.

SECTION 10. Terminal Report. — The OPCC Chairman will submit a terminal report to the President upon closure of OPCC operations which will include: major developments during the OPCC and other major events after the last OPCC bulletin (if any); an overall assessment of the operation; and, the participation of all involved agencies.

SECTION 11. Effectivity. — This memorandum shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect until 022000H December 1997.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 12th day of November, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Seven.