WHEREAS, Administrative Order No. 392, series of 1998, requires all heads of departments, bureaus, government-owned and/or controlled corporations (GOCC ™s), government financial institutions (GFIs), local government units (LGUs) and other government agencies to promote and encourage participation in the Philippine Centennial Exposition 1998 or Expo Pilipino program;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the above-mentioned Administrative Order, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) issued Memorandum Circular No. 17, series of 1998, granting government employees the privilege of visiting Expo Pilipino on official time for a maximum of three days anytime from 6 June 1998 to 15 June 1999;

WHEREAS, the initial implementation of the said program has not been successful due to the poor participation of government workers which may be attributed to the limitation on the choice of the place to visit (confined to Expo Pilipino), as well as funding limitation for travelling expenses, especially for employees in the Visayas and Mindanao areas;

WHEREAS, since one of the objectives of Administrative Order No. 392 is to instill and enhance the sense of patriotism and national pride among public servants in time for the National Centennial Celebration, it is imperative to modify the program in order to ensure their participation thereat.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Paragraph 1, Section 1 of Administrative Order No. 392 is hereby amended to read as follows:

œSection 1. The Civil Service Commission shall initiate, implement and undertake appropriate measures to enable all government workers in the country to avail of a special three-day Centennial Leave with pay at any time from 6 June 1998 through 15 June 1999, to allow them and their families to take part in the Centennial Exposition, or visit any historical place in the country. 

SEC. 2. Section 2 of the same Administrative Order is hereby amended as follows:

œSection 2. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) shall implement, initiate and undertake parallel programs to enable all students in the country to likewise avail of and be entitled to a three-day Centennial Educational Credit at any time from 6 June 1998 through 15 June 1999 to allow them and their families to take part in the Centennial Exposition or visit other historical places in the country. 

SEC. 3. Section 3 of the same Administrative Order is hereby amended as follows:

œSection 3. In case the privilege will be availed of by visiting the Centennial Exposition, all departments, bureaus, GOCCs, GFIs, and LGUs concerned shall coordinate directly with the Expo Pilipino Corporation (EPC) for details and scheduling of the œExpo Pilipino Family Day  Program. 

SEC. 4. As used under this Administrative Order, œhistorical place  shall refer to any site, area, or locality in the country that has historical significance, which shall include, but not be limited to national shrines, historical landmarks and structures, and official sites of historical events, as identified by the National Centennial Commission and the National Historical Institute.

SEC. 5. The Civil Service Commission shall effect the appropriate amendatory measures to enable all government employees in the country to avail of the privilege mentioned in Section 1 hereof.

SEC. 6. The provisions of Administrative Order No. 392 are hereby modified and amended to conform to this Order.

SEC. 7. This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 24^th day of FEB., in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety nine.

(Sgd.) JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA
President of the Philippines

By the President:
(Sgd.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA
Executive Secretary