WHEREAS, Administrative Order No. 275 dated 18 June 1996 constituted the Coordinating Committee for the Conduct of a Philippine Partner Country Presentation at the 1998 Hannover Fair to oversee and undertake the necessary preparations for the Philippine Country Partner Presentation in the 1998 Hannover Fair;

WHEREAS, it is necessary to identify the agency which shall serve as the Project Secretariat - the nerve center for all pre- and post-fair activities, and which shall integrate all efforts towards the successful implementation of the Partner Country Project;

WHEREAS, marketing and promotional activities have to be undertaken immediately in view of the scope and magnitude of the Project and its impact on the Philippines as a newly-industrializing economy by the year 2000.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law and the Constitution do hereby order the amendment of Administrative Order No. 275 dated 18 June 1996:

SECTION 1. Section 4 (Secretariat) of Administrative Order No. 275 is hereby amended to read as follows:

œSEC. 4. Secretariat. The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) shall act as the Project Secretariat. As such, it shall service the Committee ™s technical and administrative requirements and shall be authorized, through its Executive Director, to negotiate and conclude contracts relative to the Project, including those covering the services of consultants and contractuals whose terms of office shall end no later than two (2) months after the conclusion of the Project. The Chairman may also detail additional personnel from member-agencies to assist the Secretariat. 

SEC. 2. Section 5 (Funding) of Administrative Order No. 275 is hereby amended to read as follows:

œSEC. 5. Funding. An amount of TEN MILLION PESOS (P10,000,000.00) shall serve as the initial Philippine Government contribution to the Partner Country Presentation to be sourced from the President ™s Contingent Fund and/or other sources as may be identified by the Department of Budget and Management. The government agencies or instrumentalities represented in the Committee are hereby authorized to draw from their respective budget for Fiscal Year 1997, additional funds needed to finance their presentation.

The Committee may also solicit donations, grants, contributions, sponsorships, and any form of assistance from private or government entities.

SEC. 3. This Administrative Order modifies Administrative Order No. 275 dated 18 June 1996 and all orders, issuances, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent thereto.

SEC. 4. This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 12th day of February, in the year of our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Seven.

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

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