WHEREAS, the Economic Coordinating Council (ECC) was constituted on 6 January 2000 pursuant to Executive Order No. 193;

WHEREAS, the ECC is tasked to ensure the consistency and complementation of all issuances, pronouncements, plans, programs and projects, and proposed legislations with the country's economic reform direction to further promote deregulation, liberalization, free and fair market competition, and increased private sector participation; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to provide the ECC with full-time secretariat support to enable it to effectively perform its mandate.

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. Creation of a Full-Time ECC Secretariat. There is hereby created a full-time ECC Secretariat which shall provide technical and administrative support to the ECC and to the President, as follows:

1. Undertake all necessary preparations for the conduct of the ECC meetings including, among others, agenda generation, preparation of meeting documents, and coordination with concerned offices for the meetings' logistical/physical requirements (e.g., venue, protocolar arrangements);
   
   
2. Render support during ECC meetings, such as reproduction and distribution of documents pertinent to the meeting presentations/discussions and documentation of meeting discussions/agreements;
   
   
3. Prepare action documents to implement ECC agreements/decisions, and monitor and prepare status reports on the implementation of agreements;
   
   
4. Maintain official records and receive and prepare communications pertinent to the work of the Council; and
   
   
5. Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Council.
   

The ECC Secretariat shall be under the direct supervision of the ECC Vice-Chairman. The ECC Vice-Chairman, whenever necessary, may direct the PMS to provide staff support to the Council.

Section 2. The Secretary General. The ECC Secretariat shall be headed by a Secretary General who shall be a private sector representative-nominee. He shall be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the ECC Vice-Chairman.

The Secretary General shall be an ex-officio member of the ECC. He shall also be the liaison between the ECC and the Economic Mobilization Group, the Council of Senior Economic Advisers and the private sector.

Section 3. Manpower Complement and Budget. The ECC Secretariat shall have a manpower complement which shall be determined by the Secretary General and approved by the ECC Vice-Chairman. The budget of the Council and the Secretariat which shall be prepared by the Secretary General and approved by the ECC Vice Chairman, shall be sourced from the Office of the President.

The Secretariat shall hold office in a place to be determined by the ECC Vice-Chairman.

Section 4. Repeal Clause. Section 5 of EO No. 193, series of 2000, and Section 1 (5) of Administrative Order No. 109, series of 2000 are hereby amended. All other executive issuances or portions thereof, inconsistent with this Order, are repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 5. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE, in the City of Manila, this 24th day of February, in the Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand.


By the President:

(Sgd.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA
Executive Secretary