I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the power vested in me by law, do hereby amend Sections 1, 2, and 4 of Administrative Order No. 244, Series of 1996 and order:

Section 1. National Executive Committee. In addition to the provisions of Administrative Order No. 244, the National Executive Committee (NEC) shall include the following members:

(a) Secretary of Energy
(b) Secretary of National Defense and Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council
(c) Chairman of Population Commission

The National Executive Committee is further authorized to host a Senior Officials Meeting for Sustainable Development (SOMSD) immediately prior to the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Sustainable Development (AMMSD).

Sec. 2. Functions. The National Executive Committee shall be responsible for the preparations of the substantive positions on various issues of the three meetings. The APEC National Organizing Commission - Executive Committee, in close coordination with the NEC, shall be responsible for all the administrative and logistical arrangements of the meetings pursuant to the provisions of A.O. 160 creating the APEC NOC-EC.

Sec. 3. Budget. The budget of five (5) million pesos allocated under A.O. 244 shall be released to and managed by the APEC NOC-EC, in close consultation with the National Executive Committee.

Sec. 4. Effectivity. This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 28^th day of March, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Six.

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

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