WHEREAS, Section VII of the Memorandum of Agreement signed between the Government of the Philippines and the Government of the United States on 1 June 1983 provides for the establishment of a Military Bases Agreement Joint Committee as a means of consultation between the two Governments on matters regarding the implementation of the Military Bases Agreement which cannot be resolved between the Philippine Base Commander and the United States Facilities Commanders or any other matter regarding the implementation of the Military Bases Agreement which either side wishes to bring before the Committee;

WHEREAS, the Memorandum of Agreement also provides that the representative of each Government shall have its own deputies and staff;

WHEREAS, there is a need to provide the Philippine representation in the Military Bases Agreement Joint Committee with necessary advisory and administrative support to enable it to effectively perform its functions;

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

SECTION 1. There shall be created under the Office of the President an Advisory and Administrative Support Office for the Philippine representation to the Military Bases Agreement Joint Committee. This office shall provide advisory and administrative support needed or required by the Philippine representative to the Military Bases Agreement Joint Committee and his deputy or deputies in the performance of their functions.

SECTION 2. The Philippine representative to the Military Bases Agreement Joint Committee shall be responsible for determining the organizational structure of the advisory and administrative support herein created.

SECTION 3. The Advisory and Administrative Support Office shall be staffed by officials and employees from Ministries and Office of the Government involved in the implementation of the Military Bases Agreement, who shall be placed on detail with the Advisory and Administrative Support Office, and who shall be entitled to honorarium at such rates as are allowed under existing regulations.

SECTION 4. The Philippine representative to the Military Bases Agreement Joint Committee is hereby authorized to enlist technical and administrative support and assistance of Ministries and Offices concerned in order to meet the requirements of the Advisory and Administrative Support Office.

SECTION 5. The Advisory and Administrative Support Office shall establish its offices at a suitable site in Metro Manila to be made available by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

SECTION 6. To cover the initial expenses of the Advisory and Administrative Support Office, to include expenses for installations and purchase of equipment which cannot be provided by other agencies of the Government, the representative of the Philippine Government to the Military Bases Agreement Joint Committee is hereby authorized to avail of the unexpended balance of funds earlier released in calendar year 1983 to the Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the hosting of the 1983 review of the Military Bases Agreement. For Calendar year 1984 and subsequent calendar years, the Advisory and Administrative Support Office shall prepare and submit to the Office of the Budget and Management a budget request for its operations and programs.

SECTION 7. The existence of the Advisory and Administrative Support Office shall be co-terminus with the effectivity of Section VII of the Memorandum of Agreement signed between the Government of the Philippines and Government of the United States on 1 June 1983.

Done in the City of Manila, this 28th day of December nineteen hundred and eighty three.


By the President:

(SGD.) JUAN C. TUVERA
Presidential Executive Assistant