WHEREAS, largely through the efforts of the current leadership of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (National Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines), in coordination with the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) decided to organize a œWorld Symposium on Broadcasting, New Communication Technologies and Intellectual Property  (hereinafter referred to as œWIPO World Symposium on Broadcasting ) in Manila, Philippines from 28 to 30 April 1997;

WHEREAS, the protection of the rights of broadcasters and owners of new communication technologies and intellectual property has increasingly gained universal importance because of the dominant role technology plays in influencing international economics and trade;

WHEREAS, the recognition and adequate protection of the rights of broadcasters, inventors, authors and intellectual property owners would enhance the economic environment needed to spur sustained economic growth and attract foreign investments;

WHEREAS, as a member-country of WIPO, the Philippines is privileged to have been designated as host of the forthcoming WIPO World Symposium on Broadcasting and welcomes this opportunity to reaffirm to the world its policy to protect the rights of broadcasters and owners of new communication technologies and intellectual property against infringement, piracy and counterfeiting;

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:

SECTION 1. National Organizing Committee. - A National Organizing Committee for the œWIPO World Symposium on Broadcasting, New Communication Technologies and Intellectual Property  is hereby created, which is tasked to coordinate the overall implementation of activities related to the WIPO World Symposium.

SEC. 2. Composition. - The Committee shall be co-chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the present President of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, with the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry as Vice-Chairman and the representatives of the following as members:

Office of the Press Secretary
Philippine Information Agency
Presidential Management Staff
Department of National Defense
Department of Transportation and Communications
Department of Education, Culture and Sports
Department of Tourism
Department of Interior and Local Government
Department of Budget and Management
National Economic Development Authority
Philippine National Police
Presidential Inter-Agency Committee on Intellectual Property Rights
Institute of International Legal Studies (UP)
A representative from the Council to Combat Counterfeiting and Piracy of Patents, Copyright and Trademarks (COMPACT) and the Intellectual Property Association of the Philippines (IPAP)

SEC. 3. Functions of the Committee. - The Committee shall create a Secretariat and such sub-committees as it may deem necessary to implement its mandate and formulate mechanisms that will ensure the success of the WIPO World Symposium on Broadcasting. Secretariat support shall be provided by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas. In the execution of its tasks, the Committee shall have the authority to call upon the assistance of any department, agency or instrumentality of the Government.

SEC. 4. Funding. - The amount of two million pesos (P2,000,000) required for the symposium shall be sourced partly from the International Commitments Fund. The funding balance shall be charged against the respective savings/revenues of the participating agencies, the sharing of which shall be identified by the Committee.

SEC. 5. Effectivity. - This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 17th day of January, 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