WHEREAS, Administrative Order No. 223, dated 13 June 1991, created the Committee for the Preparation of the National Centennial Celebrations in 1998, to be composed of the six (6) representatives from the Presidential Commission for Culture and Arts and five (5) representatives from the Philippine Centennial Foundation, Inc. who shall be appointed

by the President upon their nomination by their respective groups; WHEREAS, there is a need to strengthen the said Committee to ensure a more coordinated and synchronized celebrations of the Philippine Centennial and wider participation from the government and non-government or private organizations; and

WHEREAS, there is also a need to rationalize the relevance of historical links with other countries.

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 order, as follows:

Section 1. The Committee for the Preparation of the National Centennial Celebrations in 1998 shall hereinafter be called the National Centennial Commission. It is hereby reconstituted to be composed of the following:

(a) Former Vice-President Salvador H. Laurel;

(b) Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports;

(c) Secretary of National Defense;

(d) Secretary of the Interior and Local Government;

(e) Secretary of Tourism;

(f) Secretary of Trade and Industry;

(g) Secretary of Public Works and Highways;

(h) Secretary of Transportation and Communications;

(i) Secretary of Budget and Management;

(j) Press Secretary;

(k) Two (2) representatives each from the Senate and the House of Representatives to be designated by the Senate President and Speaker of the House;

(l) Two (2) representatives from the Judiciary to be designated by the Chief Justice;

(m) The Executive Director of the National Historical Institute;

(n) Three (3) representatives from the National Commission for Culture and Arts;

(o) Three (3) representatives from the Philippine Centennial Foundation, Inc.; and

(p) Other members from the government and the private sectors, as may be designated later.

The Chairman of the Commission shall be former Vice-President Salvador H. Laurel. The President shall designate the Vice-Chairman and the private sector members of the Commission.

The Honorary Chairpersons of the Commission shall be former Presidents Diosdado M. Macapagal and Corazon C. Aquino.

Section 2. The Commission shall take charge of the nationwide preparations for the National Celebration of the Philippine Centennial of the Declaration of Philippine Independence and the Inauguration of the Malolos Congress. For this purpose, it shall have the following functions:

(a) To undertake the overall study, conceptualization, formulation and implementation of programs and projects on the utilization of culture, arts, literature and media as vehicles for history, economic endeavors, and reinvigorating the spirit of national unity and sense of accomplishment in every Filipino in the context of the Centennial Celebrations. In this regard, it shall include a Philippine National Exposition ™98 within Metro Manila, the original eight provinces, and Clark Air Base as its major venues;

(b) To act as principal coordinator for all the activities related to awareness and celebration of the Centennial;

(c) To serve as the clearing house for the preparation and dissemination of all information about the plans and events for the Centennial Celebrations;

(d) To constitute working groups which shall undertake the implementation of the programs and projects;

(e) To prioritize the refurbishment of historical sites and structures nationwide. In this regard, the Commission shall formulate schemes (e.g. lease-maintain-and-transfer, build-operate-transfer, and similar arrangements) to ensure the preservation and maintenance of the historical sites and structures;

(f) To call upon any government agency or instrumentality and corporation, and to invite private individuals and organizations to assist it in the performance of its tasks; and,

(g) Submit regular reports to the President on the plans, programs, projects, activities as well as the status of the preparations for the Celebration.

Section 3. The Commission shall be provided with technical and administrative staff support by a Secretariat to be composed of, among others, detailed personnel from the President Management Staff, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the National Historical Institute. Said Secretariat shall be headed by a full time Executive Director who shall be designated by the President.

Section 4. The Commission shall be funded with an initial budget to be drawn from the Department of Tourism and the President ™s Contingent Fund, in an amount to be recommended by the Commission, and approved by the President. Appropriations for succeeding years shall be incorporated in the budget of the Office of the President.

Section 5. The Commission shall be an ad hoc body and its existence shall terminate upon the completion of all activities related to the Centennial Celebrations.

Section 6. The Commission shall prepare, for approval of the President, a Comprehensive Plan for the Centennial Celebrations within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Executive Order.

Section 7. Administrative Order No. 223 dated 13 June 1991 and all executive issuances inconsistent with this Executive Order are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

Section 8. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 4th day of October in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Three.


By the President:
(Sgd.) TEOFISTO T. GUINGONA, JR.
Executive Secretary