WHEREAS, the Philippine Government envisions that by the year 2002, the Philippines shall be moving towards becoming a newly-industrialized country;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Government further envisions that by the year 2010, through the approved 20-Year Tourism Master Plan, five million foreign nationals shall have visited the country;

WHEREAS, the private sector has organized the World Expo 2002 Philippines Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the œFoundation ) for planning, implementing, operationalizing and managing the hosting by the country of the World Expo 2002;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Government, with the end in view of achieving its aforementioned visions, should support the initiatives of the Foundation in hosting the World Expo 2002; and,

WHEREAS, the hosting of World Expo 2002 would substantially increase the country ™s foreign exchange earnings, tourist arrivals, and trade investment opportunities, generate domestic employment, hasten the development of tourist destinations, accelerate infrastructure improvement, and heighten world awareness of the history and culture of the Filipino people;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. World Expo 2002 Philippines Commission. A World Expo 2002 Philippines Commission (hereinafter referred to as the œCommission ) is hereby established under the Office of the President, to be composed as follows:

The Commission shall also have representatives from the Local Government Units, who shall host the World Expo as may be determined by the Commission. The Local Government Unit representatives shall also be designated by the President.

The Executive Secretary shall designate the permanent and alternate representatives from the Office of the President and the Departments.

SEC. 2. Functions of the Commission. The Commission shall be an advisory body to the President and shall exercise the following functions and responsibilities:

a. Act as the coordinating body between the private sector and various government agencies to ensure that all directives subsequently issued to the said agencies for the planning, operationalization and management of the World Expo 2002 shall be implemented;

b. Prepare the criteria for the site and recommend to the President the appropriate site for the World Expo 2002;

c. Select the theme and theme message of the World Expo 2002 as may be acceptable to the Bureau of International Expositions:

d. Conduct drives and campaigns to secure and raise funds for use in the planning of World Expo 2002 subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations;

e. Accept or receive donations and other conveyances by gratuitous title of funds, materials and services for use in the planning, operationalization, and management of the World Expo 2002 subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations;

f. Prepare the Master Plan for the World Expo 2002;

g. Ensure that the Master Plan for the World Expo 2002 shall harmonize with the construction plans of the National Government, the National Centennial Commission, the private sector, and the local government units to be affected;

h. Undertake all other measures necessary for the successful implementation of the said Master Plan;

i. Plan, operationalize, and manage Philippine participation in the following World Expositions: 1) Budapest, Hungary in 1996; 2) Lisbon, Portugal in 1998; and, 3) Hamburg, Germany in 2000; and,

j. Call on any department, bureau or office of the Government, including government-owned and controlled corporations, to render such assistance as it may need in the discharge of its functions.

SEC. 3. Report to the President. Relative to the performance of its mandated functions, the Commission shall submit periodic reports to the President and a final report within reasonable period after closing rights of the World Expo 2002.

SEC. 4. Cessation of the Commission. The Commission shall cease to exist sixty (60) days after the submission of its final report provided in Section 3 hereof, unless otherwise ordered by the President.

SEC. 5. Commissioner General. The President shall designate a Commissioner General to the World Expo 2002 Philippines Commission. The Commissioner General shall have at least five (5) years of experience of direct involvement in the World Exposition activities.

SEC. 6. Duties of the Commissioner General. In accordance with the rules of the Bureau of International Exposition, the Commissioner General shall have the following duties:

a) Ensure that all commitments of participants are duly complied with in accordance with the provisions of the 1928 Convention, as amended;

b) See to the due and proper execution of all Participation Contract;

c) Secure and enhance the interests of all participants;

d) Arbitrate, conciliate and mediate conflicts between or among participants; and,

e) Perform such other functions and duties as may be assigned to him by the Commission.

SEC. 7. Secretariat. The Commission, through the Commissioner General, shall organize a Secretariat which shall be headed by an Executive Officer.

The Secretariat shall have such number of personnel as may be necessary for the efficient and effective performance of its functions. All agencies of the government represented in the Commission shall assign or detail an employee each to form the Secretariat. The Commission shall provide the Commissioner General and the members of the Secretariat with such honoraria or allowances as may be allowed by law and at rates consistent with those prescribed pursuant to the Unified Compensation and Position Classification System established under R.A. No. 6758.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is hereby directed to initially provide the Commission an office space at the DFA Building along Roxas Boulevard, until such time that the Commission moves to its designated headquarters.

SEC. 8. Funding. An amount of FIVE MILLION PESOS (P5,000,000.00) to be sourced from the President ™s Contingent Fund shall be used to augment the initial operating expenses of the Commission for 1994. Appropriations for the succeeding years shall be included in the General Appropriations Act and contributions from the respective government agencies concerned.

SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. All Orders and issuances or any part thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 10. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE, in the City of Manila, this 16th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety Four.

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

By the President:

(Sgd.) TEOFISTO T. GUINGONA, JR.
Executive Secretary