WHEREAS, APEC leaders, including the President, have pledged during their informal meeting at Blake Island, Seattle, United States of America, on 20 November 1993, to take initiatives and to pursue concrete economic cooperation projects that will yield tangible benefits to the APEC region;

WHEREAS, there is a need for a system for exchange of information, experience and expertise in trade and technology among APEC members to facilitate the establishment of better business ties among businesses, in particular small and medium scale enterprises, in the region;

WHEREAS, cognizant of this need, the President had, during the said APEC meeting, expressed the initiative to establish and operationalize a resource center to be known as the APEC Center for Technology Exchange and Training for SMEs (the Center) which shall, among others, collate and disseminate market information, establish linkages and networks, provide training and promote technology transfer among nationals and SMEs of APEC member economies; and

WHEREAS, groundbreaking ceremonies for the Center at the Science Park, UP Los Ba os, Laguna were already held on 13 February 1995 and announced by the Philippine Government at the APEC Senior Officials meeting in Fukuoka, Japan held on 13 to 16 February 1995.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby constitute a Presidential Committee to formulate policies to guide and coordinate efforts towards the establishment and operation of the Center in accordance with the Ministerial declarations and pronouncements of APEC Economic Leaders.

The Committee shall be composed of the heads, or the duly authorized permanent representatives thereof, of the following:

Department of Trade and Industry	- Chairman
Department of Foreign Affairs	- Vice-Chairman
Department of Science and Technology	- Member
Department of Labor and Employment	- Member
Department of Agriculture	- Member
Department of Health	- Member
Department of Environment and Natural Resources	- Member
University of the Philippines	- Member
Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry	- Member
Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc.	- Member

To carry out its task, the Committee shall be authorized to establish or organize working groups or subcommittees to, among others, address the technical issues that may arise in operationalizing the Center, oversee the disposition of its funds, and provide administrative and secretariat support.

The Committee shall, in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management, study and identify the appropriate sources and the amount of the funds to effectively undertake its functions.

In the discharge of its functions and responsibilities, the Committee may call upon any government agency or local government unit for assistance.

This Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 9th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Five.

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:
(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary