WHEREAS, the small and medium scale enterprises, which comprise, the majority of the country's total number of enterprises, are among the agents of economic development and growth;

WHEREAS, there is a need to further enhance the SMEs' capability through the provision of sustained government's institutional, funding and policy support toward ensuring the high competitiveness of the enterprises;

WHEREAS, the establishment of databanks on SMEs, with nationwide accessibility, shall readily provide information needed for policy/program formulation and implementation and monitoring and evaluation of the progress of SME development activities;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Establishment of the Databanks on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) - Databanks on SMEs shall be established nationwide, both in the national and provincial levels, by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), through the National Statistics Office (NSO), to enhance the flow and availability of timely and adequate information on SMEs, for policy and program formulation and monitoring of SME development activities.

SECTION 2. Organizational Structure - The NSCB shall provide the operational and policy direction for SME databanks. The regional databanks shall be based and administered by the respective NSO Regional Offices with technical support from the concerned NEDA Regional Offices.

SECTION 3. Timeframe - The establishment of the SMEs databank in all regions shall be completed and operational within two years from August 1995. Databanks for Regions I and XI, as pilot areas, shall be completed and operational in their regional centers, namely San Fernando, La Union and Davao City, respectively, not later than 31 December 1995.

SECTION 4. Clientele - The databank shall be made accessible to both private and public sectors, including policy-making government bodies, LGUs, academic and research institutions, business entities and NGOs for this purpose, a sustained information dissemination campaign on the availability and uses of the databank shall be conducted by the NSO and NEDA Regional Offices.

SECTION 5. Funding - The cost for the establishment and initial operation of the regional databanks shall be drawn from the NSO savings during the year. Subsequent funding requirements for the next three years shall be included by the NSO in its budgetary outlay under the general appropriation act (GAA). Thereafter, it shall devise a cost-sharing scheme with the private sector, including the tapping of grant assistance from local and foreign donors to sustain the efficient databank operation.

SECTION 6. Monitoring and Reporting - the NSCB shall submit to the Office of the President semestral reports on the status of the implementation of this Order. On the other hand, the NSO, in consultation with the concerned NEDA Regional Offices and local SME organizations, shall regularly monitor, evaluate and ensure the responsiveness of the databanks to goals and objectives herein stated. In this regard, the NSO shall submit quarterly reports to the NSCB on the operation of the databanks.

SECTION 7. Repealing Clause - All orders, rules and regulations, or part thereof which are inconsistent with this Order, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 8. Effectivity - This Order shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 14 July 1995

(SGD.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President

By the President:

(SGD.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary