WHEREAS, on September 16, 1991, the Philippine Senate voted against the United States Military Bases Treaty, ending the presence of permanent military bases in the Philippines;

WHEREAS, the rapid and efficient reuse of these properties is crucial to the economic recovery and development into economic zones of the sites of the former U.S. military bases in the Philippines and is directly dependent upon the efficiency of environmental investigations, clean-up and restoration;

WHEREAS, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted a resolution on February 24, 1995 on Human Rights and Environment, recognizing that the illicit dumping of toxic and dangerous wastes threatens the right to life and health;

WHEREAS, the reuse of the former military installations or portions thereof must ensure the protection of human health and the environment;

WHEREAS, the reuse of these properties is designated to preserve valuable assets such as infrastructure so as to provide a stimulus to the local economy;

WHEREAS, there is a need to formally create a Philippine Task Force on Hazardous Wastes as in inter-agency task force to coordinate and direct clean-up plans of action, programs and projects;

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

Section 1. Creation of a Task Force on Hazardous Wastes. There is hereby created the Philippine Task Force on Hazardous Wastes in Former U.S. Military Installations, hereinafter referred to as the Philippine Task Force (PTF), under the joint administrative and technical supervision of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Sec. 2. Membership.

1. Secretary of Health
   
   
2. Secretary of Science and Technology (DOST)
   
   
3. Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning and NEDA
   
   Director-General (NEDA)
   
   
4. Director of the Philippine Nuclear-Research Institute (PNRI)
   
   
5. Chairman and President of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA)
   
   
6. Chairman and Administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)
   
   
7. President and CEO of the Clark Information Agency (PIA)
   

Chairman	Environment and Management Bureau (DENR)
Co-Chair	Environmental Health Services (DOH)
Members	Office of American Affairs Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST) NEDA PNRI BCDA CDC Ecology Center and Health and Welfare Dep't (SBMA) PIA

Sec. 3. Duties and Functions. The PTF shall pursue the following duties and functions:

1. Formulate plans of action in addressing the issue of hazardous wastes in the former U.S. military installations.
   
   
2. Ensure that studies are undertaken to assess the extent of hazardous waste contamination and its effects on the environment and human health.
   
   
3. Initiate and coordinate clean-up and environmental restoration efforts of contaminated sites identified and assessed by Subic and Clark studies.
   
   
4. Undertake immediate actions to address the identified environmental and health concerns in Subic, Clark and other former military bases.
   
   
5. Ensure long-term capacity building programs of technical transfer which focus on contamination identification, contamination assessment, contamination clean up and laboratory analysis at the former U.S. military installations.
   
   
6. Secure the firm cooperation of U.S. agencies, the private sector and other entities in harnessing and making available technical, administrative and financial resources for effective implementation of the plans of action, programs and projects of the PTF.
   
   
7. Assist in the formulation and implementation of applicable government policies, laws, rules and regulations in connection with the clean up of hazardous wastes in former U.S. military installations.
   
   
8. Coordinate the conduct of public information, education, communication campaign on the hazards and risks, if any, involved in the reuse of former U.S. military installations in the Philippines and the need for contamination assessment and clean-up.
   
   
9. Pursue other related functions which may be deemed necessary by the President.
   

Sec. 4. Funding. The funds for the initial year of operations of the PTF, in the amount of fifty million pesos (P50M), shall be sourced from the President's Contingent Fund or Social Fund. Thereafter, the Task Force shall submit an annual budget to be incorporated into the annual budgetary allotment of the DFA, providing for, among other things: consultancy fees to experts; honoraria for members and other resource persons; and, participation in specialized training courses, subject to applicable accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

Sec. 5. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 18th day of January, in the year of our Lord, two thousand.


By the President:

RONALDO B. ZAMORA
Executive Secretary