I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. CREATING A PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

There is hereby created the Presidential Task Force on Science and Technology, hereinafter referred to as the Task Force, to be composed of the following:

Chairman - Secretary, Department of Science and Technology Vice-Chairmen - (1) Representative of the Private Sector   (2) Representative of the Academe Members - Secretary, Department of Agriculture   Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry   Secretary, Department of Transportation and Communications   Presidential Adviser on Public Resources Utilization   Two Representatives of the Private Sector   Two Representatives of the Academe

SECTION 2. The Task Force shall assist the Department of Science and Technology in the fulfillment of the latter ™s mandate and in the discharge of the latter ™s powers and functions.

The Task Force is hereby authorized to call upon any Department, Bureau, Office, Agency or Instrumentality of the Government, including Government-owned or controlled corporations, in the discharge of its functions.

SECTION 3. The Task Force shall ensure that the work plans and the recommendations that it shall formulate shall promote the following ends:

1) ready access to S&T development and technical services and other forms of support with agencies of science;

2) a wide understanding and acceptance of S&T in contributing to socio-economic gains;

3) development of a more effective mechanism of transfer of technologies to workers and users.

SECTION 4. The Task Force shall create such number of technical panels as may be necessary to tackle specific areas of concern in the development of science and technology. The panels shall be composed of experts in the field, and include representatives from the government, the private sector, the academe, and where relevant, representatives from non-government organizations.

SECTION 5. The Task Force shall establish a Secretariat composed of personnel to be drawn primarily from the Department of Science and Technology and to be based thereat. It shall perform the following functions:

1. Monitor the activities of the technical panels and coordinate the meetings of the Task Force with the technical panels;
   
   
2. Document the proceedings of the meetings of the technical panels and the Task Force; and
   
   
3. Provide technical assistance and such other support services as may be required by the Task Force and technical panels.

SECTION 6. The Department of Budget and Management is hereby directed to release immediately the amount of FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (P500,000.00) for the financial and operational requirements of the Task Force, chargeable against the funds of the Office of the President and subject to the usual accounting and auditing procedures.

SECTION 7. The Task Force shall organize itself within thirty days and shall submit its recommendations to the President not later than ninety days thereafter.

SECTION 8. This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 11th day of August, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-eight.


By the President:
(Sgd.) CATALINO MACARAIG, JR.
Executive Secretary