WHEREAS, the Constitution recognizes the indispensable role of the private business sector in nation-building;

WHEREAS, the efforts of the private sector towards global competitiveness and excellence in their chosen fields have contributed much to our country ™s progress;

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 establish the criteria to be applied in the conferment of Presidential Citations, as follows:

SECTION 1. Criteria. - The basis for determining the awardees of the Presidential Citations shall be the breadth of the individual or entity ™s contribution to the said Philippine goals, broken down into three categories:

For Investors:

The awardee must satisfy all of the following conditions:

has an equity investment of at least US $100 M or is providing at least 5,000 jobs;

has been in the Philippines for over 10 years;

has a good track record in labor relations, environmental practice and community relations.

For Exporters:

has annual exports of over US $1.0 B of merchandise or US $50 M of services.

Special Award:

A world-renowned corporation at the verge of making an investment decision that will guarantee the infusion of huge financial resources to our country and a long term employment to our people.

SEC. 2. Recipient. - The award shall be granted to private business individuals and entities, foreign or local, in recognition of their exceptional contributions towards the attainment of Philippine economic and development goals. The award shall be conferred directly upon the Chairman or Chief Executive Officer of the Head Office of the corporation or enterprise to mark special corporate milestones.

SEC. 3. Form of Award. - The Award shall be in the form of a Presidential Citation containing the signature of the President.

SEC. 4. Implementing Guidelines. - The Department of Trade and Industry, as lead agency, shall consult with relevant departments and shall within thirty (30) days from issuance hereof, cause the promulgation of the guidelines to implement this Order.

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

DONE in the City of Manila, this 7th day of August 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