WHEREAS, Mindanao has been the subject of development efforts which have so far been unsuccessful;

WHEREAS, there has been uneven development in Mindanao, especially in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao;

WHEREAS, this part of Mindanao has been the object of armed conflicts;

WHEREAS, there is a need to rehabilitate and reconstruct the areas affected by the conflicts in Mindanao to normalize the situation and restore economic activities in the area;

WHEREAS, the normalization of the situation in Mindanao will make the are more conducive to business activities and attract more people and investments in the area towards the development of Mindanao;

WHEREAS, there is a need to synchronize, integrate, and accelerate the efforts of the various sectors, including the existing bodies and agencies created to promote the development of Mindanao, to ensure the efficient utilization of resources and effectiveness of plans, programs and projects;

WHEREAS, there is a need for a high-level body that would coordinate and orchestrate all rehabilitation and development efforts in Mindanao;

WHEREAS, Mindanao is a priority area of the Estrada Administration and the President has been taking a direct hand in the development of the area;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order:

Section 1. Constitution of the Mindanao Coordinating Council. There is hereby constituted a Mindanao Coordinating Council (MCC) which shall act as the overall coordinating body to ensure the integration, synchronization and accelerated implementation of plans, programs and projects to rehabilitate Mindanao, specifically in the areas affected by the conflict. The MCC shall be composed of the following:

Chairman	President
Vice-Chair	Executive Secretary
Co Vice-Chair	Private Sector Representative from Mindanao
Members	Secretary of Budget And Management Secretary of Public Works And Highways Secretary of Finance Secretary of Trade and Industry Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Energy Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports Secretary of Health Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Representative from the Regional Development Councils in Mindanao Five (5) Private Sector Representatives

An advisory Board, whose Chairman Emeritus is from the private sector, and whose members shall be appointed by the President, shall also be created.

The private sector co-vice chair and members of the MCC, who shall come from the business and religious sectors and civil society/non-government organizations, shall also be appointed by the President. Of the five (5) private sector members, four (4) shall come from Mindanao.

The MCC may invite representatives from the legislative branch and may call on concerned heads of government agencies and instrumentalities to participate in the Council ™s activities as needed.

Section 2. Functions. The Mindanao Coordinating Council shall have the following functions:

1. Coordinate, prioritize and synchronize all plans, programs and projects of all government agencies and instrumentalities involved in the rehabilitation of Mindanao, specifically in the areas affected by the conflict;
   
   
2. Facilitate and orchestrate the accelerated implementation of plans, programs and projects, including those sourced from Official Development Assistance Programs, for the rehabilitation of Mindanao;
   
   
3. Facilitate the mobilization of resources earmarked for the rehabilitation of Mindanao;
   
   
4. Direct any office, agency or instrumentality of the government to expeditiously execute its functions to attain the objective of rehabilitating Mindanao;
   
   
5. Promote private sector involvement in the implementation of all Mindanao rehabilitation plans, programs and projects of government agencies and instrumentalities; and
   
   
6. Monitor and evaluate the implementation of all plans, programs and projects for the rehabilitation of Mindanao of all government agencies and instrumentalities.
   

Section 3. Primacy of Council Decisions. Decisions of the Council on matters related to the rehabilitation efforts in Mindanao, specifically in the areas affected by the conflict and approved by its Chairman, shall overrule decisions or lack of decision of any department, bureau of office, subject to any Constitutional or legal limitation on the exercise of such Presidential power.

Section 4. Institutional Relationships. As the overall coordinating body for the development of Mindanao, the Council shall ensure maximum participation of existing government agencies, bodies and instrumentalities in Mindanao such as the Mindanao Economic Development Council, Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Government. These bodies shall serve as the coordinating, monitoring and validating arm of the Council in the area.

Section 5. Creation of a Technical Committee. A Technical Committee, which shall be chaired by the Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), is hereby created to assist the MCC in the pursuit of its functions. The Technical Committee may constitute such Sub-Committees as may be necessary from among the member-agencies and other agencies and instrumentalities and private sector representatives, to facilitate the conduct of activities and ensure the compliance of the tasks of the Council. The Chairman shall recommend to the Council the composition of the Technical Committee and the Sub-Committees to be created.

Section 6. Technical and Administrative Support. The Presidential Management Staff shall provide Secretariat support to the Mindanao Coordinating Council. The Council may also call on any member-agency to extend to it technical support and assistance, as may be deemed necessary.

The NEDA Secretariat shall provide the technical and administrative support to the Technical Committee.

Section 7. Funding. Initial funding for the Council and the Technical Committee shall be sourced from the budget of the Office of the President. Thereafter, the appropriations for the continued operations of these bodies shall be included in the annual general appropriations of the government.

Section 8. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon approval.

Done, in the City of Manila, on this 5th of July, in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand.


By the President:

(Sgd.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA
Executive Secretary