WHEREAS, the Philippine and the United States of America have a long history of mutually beneficial economic relations;

WHEREAS, it is to the interest of the Philippines to further expand its participation in the United States market and to attract American capital in pioneering and preferred areas of investments;

WHEREAS, it would be timely for the Philippines to launch a major initiative to expand trade and investments relations with the United States to take advantage of the favorable interest shown by the American business community on economic opportunities in the Philippines generated by the President ™s recently concluded State Visit to the United States;

WHEREAS, it is necessary to coordinate and integrate the efforts of the private sector and various government agencies engaged in trade and investment promotion, with the program of work of the Philippine diplomatic and consular posts in the United States into a single, concerted effort so as to ensure the effective establishment of priorities, the achievement of maximum results, and the avoidance of wasteful duplication.

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

Section One. Creating the Philippine-United States Business Development Council.

There is hereby created the Philippine-United States Business Development Council.

Section Two. Functions and Activities.

1. The Council shall have the function of effectively promoting trade and investment opportunities in the Philippines to the American business community.

2. To implement this function, the Council shall undertake the following activities:

a. Review Philippine Government policies affecting exports to and investments from the United States and make the necessary recommendations to the President whenever appropriate with the objective of expanding flows in these two areas of business activities;

b. Monitor the conditions of access for Philippine products to the United States and making appropriate representations to the United States agency for the liberalization of these conditions;

c. Monitor Philippine quota and GSP utilization levels;

d. Provide logistical support to the trade and investment information activities of the Philippine Embassy and the various Philippine consular posts in the United States through the publication of product catalogues and buyer ™s guide as well as the maintenance of an effective trade and investment opportunities referrals system.

e. Assist the Philippine Embassy and the Ministry of Trade and Industry in the organization of trade and investment missions and the holding of in-store promotions;

f. Organize trade and investment seminars in the United States.

Section Three. Organization.

The Council shall be headed by the Chairman who shall be the Philippine Ambassador to the United States. He shall be assisted by two Vice Chairmen who shall be appointed by the Chairman from the membership of the Council. One Vice Chairman shall be responsible for coordinating the Council ™s operations in Manila and liaising with government agencies and private sector organization and the other Vice Chairman shall be responsible for coordinating the Council ™s field activities.

There shall be an Executive Director who shall be the Special Trade Representative of the Ministry of Trade and Industry presently assigned to the Philippine Embassy to the United States who shall be responsible for supervising the implementation of the Council ™s work program.

The Council shall be composed of the following:

1. The Philippine Ambassador to the United States

2. The Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

3. The Representative of the Ministry of Trade and Industry

4. The Representative of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)

5. The Presidential Executive Assistant or his representative

6. The Representative of the Governor of the Central Bank

7. The Representative of the Ministry of Finance

8. The Representative of the National Food Authority

9. The President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry

10. Two other representatives of the private sector who shall be appointed for a term of two years.

The Council shall have the responsibility of formulating its policies and preparing the annual work program to be submitted to the President for his approval.

The Chairman of the Council is hereby authorized to call on personnel from other government agencies and to engage the services of technical and administrative personnel as may be deemed necessary for the proper discharge of his duties and responsibilities.

The Council is further authorized to coordinate the activities of all U.S. consular posts, all service attaches, Philippine Centers, government-operated Philippine Houses, trading centers and other government corporations and their subsidiaries operating in the U.S. in connection with the effective and efficient implementation of the trade and investment promotion activities of the Council.

Section Four. Appropriations.

There is hereby authorized the appropriation annually of the amount of Two Million Pesos for the operational and maintenance expenses of the Council and the additional authorized amount of Two Million Pesos for special trade and investment promotion activities in the implementation of its annual work program.

Section Five. Other Sources of Funds.

The Council is hereby authorized to tap other sources of funds including donations and grants from appropriate local and foreign institutions.

Section six. Effectivity.

This Order takes effect immediately.

DONE IN THE CITY OF MANILA, this 30th day of September, in the Year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty two.


By the President:

(SGD.) JUAN C. TUVERA
Presidential Executive Assistant