WHEREAS, the Philippines has been chosen as the Asian Handicraft Center during the recently-concluded ECAFE Second Preparatory Meeting for the Establishment of said Center; and

WHEREAS, there is need for the immediate establishment of the Center, programmed to be inaugurated in early 1973;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby create the Philippine Committee for the Establishment of the Asian Handicraft Center composed of the following:

Mr. Mario R. Reyes	Chairman
(Administrator, NACIDA)         Acting Undersecretary of Industry
Mr. Hilarion A. Pilapil	Action Officer
Deputy Administrator         NACIDA
Mr. Leon V. Chico	Member
Director, Institute for Small Scale Industries         University of the Philippines
Mr. Benjamin G. Villavicencio	Member
Director, Office of Foreign Aid Coordination         National Economic Council

The Committee is charged with the following duties and responsibilities;

a) Determine the site, location, building and other requirements for the establishment of the Asian Handicraft Center in the Philippines;

b) Implement various matters taken up during the Second Preparatory Meeting for the Establishment of the Asian Handicraft Center held at Bangkok, Thailand on November 8 to 12, 1971;

c) Comply with the necessary requirements for the participation of the Philippines in the national pavilion project of the Center for the display and sale of handicraft products;

d) Screen and nominate proper Philippine officials and staff members for the management and operation of the Asian Handicraft Center;

e) Serve as the liaison body of the Philippines with ECAFE, the Governing Council of the Center and other international agencies involved in the project; and

f) Submit to the proper authorities a progress report of its accomplishments from time to time, as may be required.

The Chairman is hereby authorized to call upon any officer or employee of any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the Government, including corporations owned and controlled by it for such assistance as may be needed by the Committee for the proper discharge of its functions and duties. Their expenses and those of the Committee shall be borne by their respective agencies, subject to availability of funds.

Done in the City of Manila, this 11th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-two.


By the President:

(SGD.) ALEJANDRO MELCHOR
Executive Secretary