WHEREAS, the Philippine Center for Advanced Studies is at present an autonomous unit of the University of the Philippines System and is engaged in research and policy studies, in offering degree programs in Asian Studies, Islamic Studies and Philippine Studies, and in rendering various community services and publishing scholarly works;

WHEREAS, the academic programs in the Philippine Center for Advanced Studies and those of other units of the University of the Philippines are best administered by a single Governing Board;

WHEREAS, the Government and in particular the Office of the President requires specialized and competent staff in research and policy studies;

WHEREAS, the President is empowered by P.D. No. 1416 to conduct the continuing reorganization of Government;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby Order:

SECTION 1. - Creation of the President ™s Center for Special Studies. The President ™s Center for Special Studies, hereinafter referred as to as œCenter , is hereby created out of the research and policy studies group of the Philippine Center for Advanced Studies (PCAS).

SECTION 2. - Objectives. the Center shall conduct policy research and development studies for the Office of the President. As part of its work, the Center shall perform surveys and undertake programs of research and investigation on such topics as may be assigned to it by the President, or on its own initiative.

SECTION 3. - Organization. - The Center shall be a part of the Office of the President and shall be headed by a Special Assistant for Special Studies, who shall be its Executive Director. Its staff shall initially consist of the faculty, research and administrative and other support staff of the PCAS who are appointed to the Center by the Executive Director. The organization and staffing pattern of the Center shall be approved in accordance with pertinent civil service, organization, budget and compensation law and regulations.

SECTION 4. - Abolition of the Philippine Center for Advanced Studies. The Philippine Center for Advanced Studies is hereby abolished. Its academic programs are transferred to the University of the Philippines System, whose Board of Regents may continue, abolish, modify, or otherwise absorb the existing academic and other programs of PCAS not transferred to the Center: Provided, That the Institute of Islamic Studies shall be a separate unit of the University of the Philippines System: Provided, Further, That the University of the Philippines shall not be obliged to absorb all the personnel of PCAS not employed by the Center, in which case the unabsorbed staff members shall be entitled to all retirement and termination benefits under existing regulations.

SECTION 5. - Transfer of Properties and Obligations. - All property, including records and equipment, and the obligations of the PCAS shall be transferred to the Center, except for its holdings of library and academic material which shall be transferred to the University of the Philippines for the use of the Institute of Islamic Studies. The present building of the PCAS in the University of the Philippines Campus in Quezon City shall be transferred to the University of the Philippines for the use of the Institute of Islamic Studies: Provided, That the Center shall continue to occupy such portions of the building as it may require until such time as it is able to transfer to permanent quarters.

SECTION 6. - Transfer of Appropriations. - The appropriations of the PCAS for policy studies and research shall be transferred to the Center. Those in support of academic programs shall be transferred to the University of the Philippines.

SECTION 7. - Part Time Staff. - The Center may conduct its work directly through full time or part time staff, or on contract with qualified groups, individuals, or institutions which it may engage on project or retainer basis, in every case safeguarding the integrity of data, methodology, recommendations, and analysis. The Center may likewise obtain the services of personnel of other government agencies, including Government-owned or controlled corporations and state universities and colleges, and compensate such Government personnel for additional work done, in the form of honoraria or other emoluments, subject to pertinent rules and regulations on such additional compensation. Government retirees employed by the Center shall not be required to reimburse or refund any gratuity to which they are entitled be suspended or reduced on account of their employment with the Center.

SECTION 8. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 9th day of July, in the Year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-nine.


By the President:

(SGD.) JUAN C. TUVERA
Presidential Assistant