Administrative Order No. 73




MALACAÑAN PALACE MANILA BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES [ ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 73, June 23, 1999 ] CREATING THE COMMITTEE ON PRESIDENTIAL FOREIGN TRAVELS AND THE COORDINATING WORKING COMMITTEE ON OVERSEAS PRESIDENTIAL VISITS To ensure a smooth planning and execution of all plans and arrangements, including Presidential instructions, relating to Presidential foreign travels, there is hereby created a two-tiered inter-agency body consisting of a Policy Making committee and a Coordinating Working Committee composed of the following: A. Committee on Presidential Foreign Travels The Secretary of Foreign Affairs – Chairman The Secretary of Trade and Industry – Co-Chairman The Executive Secretary – Member In addition, the following shall serve as ex-officio members: The Press Secretary who shall provide the inputs with respect to all media-related activities and issues. The Head, Presidential Management Staff who shall provide all the documents relating to the speeches and talking points of the President as well as inputs for press conferences and media interviews. The Presidential Spokesperson who shall disseminate the official Presidential statements to the media. The Senior Deputy Executive Secretary who shall provide all the necessary inputs resulting from his role as Chairman of the Coordinating Working Committee. The Committee shall take charge of formulating the objectives of Presidential foreign trips, provides policy guidance on the various preparatory work and implementing arrangements relating to such trip and conduct post-visit assessment of the trips. B. Coordinating Working Committee on Overseas Presidential Visit The Senior Deputy Executive Secretary – Chairman An Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs – Vice-Chairman A representative of the Department of Trade and Industry – Member A representative of the Office of the Press Secretary – Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) – Member Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Finance and Administration – Member Presidential Management Staff – Member Office of the Social Secretary – Member Presidential Security Group – Member Protocol Office – Member This Committee shall be responsible of coordinating the planning and implementation of all the plans, preparations and arrangements for the overseas Presidential visits. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) shall be the lead agency in coordinating, through its overseas diplomatic and consular posts, all the arrangements in the countries to be visited by the President. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) shall be the lead agency in coordinating the participation of private sector, particularly the accompanying business delegations and the meetings of the President with Business Leaders in the countries to be visited. The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) shall be the lead agency in coordinating all media-related activities; including preparation press kits, and the decision for the conduct of press briefings, press conferences, and interviews abroad, in coordination with the Presidential Spokesperson. The Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) shall be the lead agency in coordinating the physical, substantive, protocular and all other preparations and arrangements for the overseas Presidential visits and in coordinating the participation of all government agencies and instrumentalities, including Congress and the judiciary as well as the Private Sector representatives interested in such visits. The two committees shall immediately organize and set in motion the preparations for the forthcoming and succeeding Presidential foreign trips under this new set-up. This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately. DONE in the City of Manila, this 23rd day of JUNE, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Nine. (Sgd.) JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA President of the Philippines By the President: (Sgd.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA Executive Secretary The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation