WHEREAS, the Philippine peace process, particularly the achievement of peace settlements with the rebel groups has resulted to the cessation of major armed conflicts in the country, thereby creating opportunities for community transformation and development;

WHEREAS, adequate and responsive reconstruction of the communities affected by the armed conflicts is deemed integral to the peace process;

WHEREAS, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), as well as other agencies, have signified interest and have agreed to jointly convene a roundtable discussion among international resource persons to draw from their expertise and experiences lessons and ideas on how to effectively plan, implement and manage post-conflict reconstruction activities;

WHEREAS, the roundtable discussions are scheduled as follows: Part I on 26-27 June 1997 and Part II on 29-30 June 1997 to be held in Manila and General Santos, respectively.

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

SECTION 1. Creation of a National Organizing Committee. A National Organizing Committee, herein referred to as the NOC, is hereby created to organize and manage the activities for the roundtable discussion, to be chaired by the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and representatives of the following as members:

National Economic and Development Authority
Southern Philippine Council for Peace and Development
Presidential Management Staff

SEC. 2. Functions of the NOC. The NOC shall discharge the following functions:

1.	Organize, oversee and ensure the successful conduct of Part I of the roundtable discussion and documentation of its proceedings;
2.	Closely coordinate with the Office of the Executive Secretary the conduct of the roundtable discussions;
3.	Create appropriate task forces or committee to assist in its tasks;
4.	Provide financial support for the conduct of Part II of the roundtable discussions;
5.	Acquire from the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), within thirty days from the holding of Part II of the roundtable discussion, a report of their proceedings and results of said phase and integrate the same in the NOC report;
6.	Call on and tap the cooperation and support of all departments and agencies of the government, including government owned and controlled corporations, in the conduct of the roundtable discussions; and
7.	Submit to the President, within forty five (45) days from the holding of the roundtable discussion, a report on its proceedings and the results thereof, including recommendations for post conflict community rebuilding.

SEC. 3. Creation of a Local Organizing Committee. A Local Organizing Committee, hereinafter referred as the LOC, is hereby created specifically to organize and manage the conduct of Part II of the Roundtable Discussion to be composed of the representatives from the following government agencies:

Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development	- Chairman
Regional Director, NEDA Region XII	- Co-Chairman
UN Team Peace Advisory	- Member

SEC. 4. Functions of the LOC. The LOC shall discharge the following functions:

1.	Organize, oversee and ensure the successful conduct of Part II of the roundtable discussions and the documentation of its proceedings;
2.	Create necessary task forces or committees to assist in its tasks; and
3.	Prepare and submit to the NOC, within thirty (30) days from the conclusion of Part II of the roundtable discussion, a report of the proceedings and result of said phase.

SEC. 5. Creation of the National and Local Secretariats. A National and Local Secretariat are hereby created to provide technical and administrative staff support to the NOC and LOC which shall be headed by the OPAPP Executive Director and NRO XII Director and based at the OPAPP and NEDA Region XII Office, respectively.

The different members of the organizing committees shall detail personnel to their respective secretariats. The Chairman of the NOC is hereby authorized to contract, on a short term project basis, additional personnel for the National Secretariat.

SEC. 6. Funds. The budget for the roundtable discussions shall be sourced from and charged against the National Unification Fund.

SEC. 7. Effectivity. This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 20th day of June, 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