œCareer Ministers may serve as Minister - Counselor or Consul General or both; Foreign Affairs Officers of Class I as First Secretary or Consul General or both; of Class II, as Second Secretary or Consul or both; of Classes III and IV, as Third Secretary or Vice Consul or both . . . (Underscoring supplied);

WHEREAS, Section 31 (3), Chapter 9, Title Book IV of the Administrative Code of 1987, states that:

œThe assignment of the other classes of Foreign Service Officers shall be as follows:

Home Office Diplomatic Service Consular Service Class I - Chief of Division First Secretary Consul Class II - Chief of Division Second Secretary Consul Class III - Chief of Division Third Secretary Consul Class IV - Asst. Chief of Division Third Secretary Vice-Consul 

WHEREAS, the Department of Budget and Management, in accordance with Section 6 of Republic Act No. 6758, has prepared the Index of Occupational Services Position Titles and Salary Grades, dated July 1, 1989, which classified Foreign Service Officers under the category of Foreign Relations Service as follows:

œForeign Service   x x x xx Foreign Service Officer, Class IV 21 Foreign Service Officer, Class III 22 Foreign Service Officer, Class II 23 Foreign Service Officer, Class I 24?

WHEREAS, there is need to clarify and harmonize the aforesaid provisions of laws and issuance for uniformity in application and interpretation;

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

SECTION 1. For purposes of uniformity in application and interpretation, the following consular ranks for Foreign Service Officers (FSO) who perform consular functions in Philippine diplomatic and consular posts abroad shall be followed:

  Diplomatic Rank Consular Rank Counselor Counselor Consul General Foreign Service Officer I First Secretary Consul General Foreign Service Officer II Second Secretary Consul Foreign Service Officer III Third Secretary Consul Foreign Service Officer IV Third Secretary Consul

SEC. 2. This Administrative Order shall not be interpreted to authorize any increase or reduction in the salaries and other emoluments of the above-mentioned Foreign Service Officers.

SEC. 3. This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 28th day of August, in the year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety.


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