WHEREAS, on 30 November 1996, the ASEAN Heads of Government, in their First Informal Meeting in Jakarta, decided to mark the 30th anniversary of ASEAN, founded on 8 August 1967, with special events and programs to inform the people of the accomplishments and programs of ASEAN for the region;

WHEREAS, on 5-7 December 1995, the Fifth ASEAN Summit in Bangkok decided not only to strengthen political and economic cooperation but also to elevate ASEAN functional cooperation to a higher plane, through greater awareness of ASEAN, people-to-people contact and socio-cultural development;

WHEREAS, the Philippines, upon assuming the chairmanship of the ASEAN Standing Committee from 1 August 1997 to 31 July 1998, shall, among its other functions, steer region-wide commemorative events as well as nation-wide commemorative activities for the duration of the ASEAN ™s 30th year.

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 declare the following:

SECTION 1. Observance of the 30th Year of ASEAN. The Philippines shall formulate, in consultation with other ASEAN member countries, region-wide special events and programs and organize nation-wide commemorative activities to observe the ASEAN ™s 30th Year from 1 August 1997 to 31 July 1998, with special activities on the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN on 8 August 1997.

SEC. 2. Organizing Committee for the 30th ASEAN Year. There is hereby created an Organizing Committee for the 30th ASEAN Anniversary chaired by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, with the following as members: the Cabinet-level Philippine Council for ASEAN and APEC Cooperation (PCAAC), the Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports, the Press Secretary and the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education. The Committee shall be assisted by the two Technical Boards of PCAAC, namely the Technical Board for Functional Cooperation and the Technical Board for Economic Cooperation. All departments and agencies of the government shall extend every possible support to the commemorative events and activities, when requested by the Organizing Committee.

SEC. 3. Communication Plan. The PCAAC shall formulate and implement a support communication plan to provide better understanding by the Filipino people of the benefits that ASEAN can provide them. Emphasis shall be given to political, economic and functional cooperation.

SEC. 4. Secretariat. The Office of ASEAN Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs shall serve as the secretariat of the Organizing Committee. It shall be assisted by the ASEAN units in all departments and agencies of the Government.

SEC. 5. Funding. The amount of fifteen million (P15,000,000.00) pesos is hereby allocated for the above-mentioned purposes, chargeable against the Contingency Fund of the Office of the President.

SEC. 6. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 20th 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