Administrative Order No. 201




MALACAÑAN PALACE MANILA BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES [ ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 201, July 05, 1995 ] PROVIDING FOR THE COORDINATION MECHANISM AND FUNDING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MONITORING, CONTROL, AND SURVEILLANCE FOR THE CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES (MCS-CPRR) SYSTEM FOR THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES WHEREAS, the conservation and protection of the renewable resources and their habitat in the Philippine waters has become a major government concern due to the continued illegal, unauthorized, and damaging fishing practices by both external and internal participants; WHEREAS, the Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance for the Conservation and Protection of Renewable Resources (MCS-CPRR) System, although initially focusing on fisheries and their habitat, was also designed to address many of the oceans and coastal surveillance concerns in support of inter-agency coastal vigilance priorities; WHEREAS, the MCS-CPRR System has been designed to promote cost-effective coordination of inter-agency resources for ocean sector sovereignty, national security for future food security, and conservation purposes, through the establishment of national and regional MCS-CPRR Coordinating and Operating Centers; WHEREAS, the management of the coast areas has been devolved to the municipalities; WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to establish a coordinating mechanism and secure funding for the implementation of the MCS-CPRR System to address their fisheries and ocean conservation and security needs; WHEREAS, the Cabinet Committee on Maritime and Ocean Affairs (CabCom-MOA) was created to address all activities in the ocean sector; WHEREAS, the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is mandated to manage the fisheries resources of the Philippines. NOW, THEREFORE, I FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, do hereby order as follows: Section 1. The Cabinet Committee on Maritime and Ocean Affairs (CabCom-MOA) shall coordinate the establishment of the mechanism to aid in the implementation of the Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance for the Conservation and Protection of Renewable Resources (MCS-CPRR) System as recommended in the recent MCS-CPRR Design Project in the municipal pilot areas and the economically important offshore areas of Palawan, Batanes, and Cagayan, and the East ASEAN Growth Area (EAGA), said implementation being in support of the National Marine Policy. Section 2. The CabCom-MOA shall establish the mechanism for joint funding of the implementation of the MCS-CPRR System from all agencies involved in maritime affairs, said implementation in the designated pilot areas to be completed by June 1997. Section 3. The DA shall be designated as the implementing agency for the establishment and operations of the MCS-CPRR System for the Philippines.ℒαwρhi৷ Section 4. The CabCom-MOA shall monitor the implementation of the MCS-CPRR System for the purpose of developing the action plan for the expansion of this system in the rest of the Philippine waters, said plan to be completed by December 1997. Section 5. This Order shall take effect immediately. Done in the City of Manila, this 5th day of July, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety five. (Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS President of the Philippines By the President: (Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES Executive Secretary The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation