WHEREAS, the Government of Japan is offering the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) financial and technical assistance for the establishment and operation of human resources development centers and programs;

WHEREAS, in response to this offer, the Government of the Philippines has completed the preparation of the ASEAN Human Resources Development Project as undertaken by the inter-agency committee constituted under Letter of Instruction No. 1120;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Task Force had initiated through negotiations tentative agreements as to the nature, scope and naming of a Center;

WHEREAS, the program as a government response to the Japanese offer is primarily in support of the Kilusang Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran;

WHEREAS, the Ministry of Human Settlements being the Secretariat of the Kilusang Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran shall implement the program in behalf of the Philippine government;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order the following:

1. There is hereby created the Philippine Human Resource Development Center, hereinafter referred to as the œCenter , to be the recipient in behalf of the Government of the Philippines, of the Japanese grant aid for human resources development. All matters pertaining to this ASEAN-Japan project will be communicated to the Japanese government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

2. The Center shall be in the University of Life, Ministry of Human Settlements.

3. The Center shall have the following functions:

a. Ensure that human resources development efforts are productively applied to new and existing enterprises;

b. Strengthen established infrastructure for training related to human resources development and to effect the networking of such existing training facilities;

c. Encourage training curricula and programs responsive to industry ™s demands;

d. Source and negotiate for training opportunities with Japan and with other ASEAN countries as a means of enhancing technical cooperation and technology transfer; and

e. Provide and facilitate information flow not only among local training agencies but also with Japan and other ASEAN countries.

4. The Center shall have a Governing Council to serve as its policy-making body. The Governing Council shall be composed of the following:

a. Minister of Human Settlements

-

Chairman

b. Minister of Foreign Affairs

-

Vice-Chairman

c. Minister of Budget

)

d. Minister of Finance

)

e. Minister of Agriculture

)

f. Minister of Natural Resources

)

g. Minister of Trade and Industry

)

Members

h. Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority

)

i. President of the University of Life

)

5. The Center shall have a Joint Steering Committee composed of the Secretary-General, representatives of the lead agencies involved in the Center programs, NEDA, as well as Japanese experts involved in the projects, officials from the Japanese Embassy and/or Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The Joint Steering Committee shall perform the following functions:

a. To assist the Governing Council in reviewing and recommending the annual Programs plans, including budget allocation of the Center; and

b. To facilitate effective implementation of the Programs through close consultations and coordination with the Philippine and Japanese sides.

6. The Center shall have an Office of the Secretary-General. The Secretary-General shall be appointed by the Governing Council and shall act as the chief executive officer of the Center under the Joint Steering Committee.

The Secretary-General shall perform the following functions:

a. To supervise Program I of the Center;

b. To coordinate Programs II, III, IV and V of the Center; and

c. To direct the activities of the Center.

7. Technical assistance forthcoming for the development of human resources shall be directed towards the development of skills and the commercialization of technologies particular to the following priority Programs and other non-traditional areas as may be identified from time to time by the Governing Council:

a. Program I

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Center Support Activities

b. Program II

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 Seafarming

c. Program III

-

 Non-Traditional Crops

d. Program IV

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 Cottage and Light Industries

e. Program V

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 Shelter and Construction Manpower

8. The grant aid from the Government of Japan to the Center, to the extent that it takes the form of financial assistance or assistance-in-kind that can be easily converted into cash, shall be placed in a special account in any government depository bank to be administered by the Center and utilized for its programs and projects.

9. In order to provide the Peso Counterpart for the operating requirements of the Center, the Ministry of the Budget shall annually appropriate and program the amount of Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000) from the Foreign Assisted Projects Support Fund.

This Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 19th day of March, 1982 in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty two.


By the President:

(SGD.) JOAQUIN T. VENUS, JR.
Deputy Presidential Executive Assistant