MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 43
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE INTER-AGENCY REVIEW PANEL OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS FUND (ICF)
WHEREAS, Philippine contributions to international organizations and commitments to hosting of international conferences are sourced from the International Commitments Fund (ICF) as administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM);
WHEREAS, the ICF is part of the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) passed by Congress and approved by the President;
WHEREAS, DFA and DBM Joint Circular 1-90 (s. 1990) and Memorandum Circular No. 194 (s. 2010) provide for the guidelines in accessing the ICF;
WHEREAS, to optimize the utilization of scarce government funds, maximize benefits vis-a-vis costs, and ensure proper administration of the ICF, an Ad-Hoc Inter-Agency ICF Review Panel composed of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as Chairman, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) as Co-Chairman, and Department of Finance (DOF), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the Office of the President (OP) as Members, was constituted by the DFA and the DBM in 2002;
WHEREAS, the President, under Section 17, Article VII of the Constitution, has control over executive departments, bureaus and offices, and the continuing authority, under the Administrative Code of 1987, to reorganize the administrative structure of the Executive Branch of Government;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BENIGNO S. AQUINO III, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and by law, do hereby order the following:
SECTION 1. Creation and Composition of the ICF Review Panel. The ICF Review Panel is hereby created, to be composed of the representatives from the following:
| Chairperson: | Department of Foreign Affairs |
| Co-chairperson: | Department of Budget and Management |
| Members: | Department of Finance |
| National Economic and Development Authority |
| Office of the Executive Secretary |
The duly authorized representatives of the ICF Review Panel shall have a rank not lower than Assistant Secretary.
SECTION 2. Functions of the ICF Review Panel. The ICF Review Panel shall have the following functions:
a) Evaluate the allocation of funds for Philippine membership in and contributions to international organizations;
b) Review requests for hosting of international conferences in the Philippines and their funding requirements;
c) Conduct consultations with the focal agencies in aid of its review and evaluation tasks;
d) Prepare, on an annual basis, the ICF budget proposal, which contains both the commitments for contribution to international organizations and hosting of international conferences;
e) Recommend the following to the OP:
i. Membership in international organization;
ii. Contributions to offices of international organizations based in the Philippines;
iii. Hosting of international conferences; and
iv. Annual ICF budget; and
f) Formulate new or revise existing policies and guidelines to facilitate orderly and efficient implementation of the ICF.1âwphi1
SECTION 3. ICF Review Panel Secretariat. The ICF Secretariat functions shall be jointly performed by the Office of the United Nations and other International Organizations (UNIO) and the Office of Fiscal Management (OFM) under the DFA. Its functions include, but are not limited to, the following:
a) Convene regular ICF Review Panel meetings and prepare the report/s for circulation to the Members;
b) Consolidate the annual ICF budget proposal and prepare the endorsement letter to DBM;
c) Consolidate proposals for hosting of international conferences and prepare the endorsement letter to OP;
d) Ensure compliance by focal agencies, Foreign Service Posts, and offices within the DFA to ICF rules and regulations;
e) Defend the ICF budget during the hearings called by the House of Representatives and the Senate;
f) Circulate letters to focal agencies, Foreign Service Posts, and offices within the DFA requesting for the submission of inputs on maintaining membership contributions, acceptance of new contributions, increases in the amount of membership contributions, and withdrawal/discontinuation of contributions, in preparation for the ICF budget review of the concerned fiscal year;
g) Circulate letters to focal agencies and offices within the DFA requesting submission of proposals for hosting international conferences for inclusion in the ICF budget of the concerned fiscal year;
h) Consolidate all submitted inputs for the budget preparation of the concerned fiscal year;
i) Disseminate information to focal agencies and offices within the DFA of the approved/disapproved membership contributions and hosting of international conferences;
j) Prepare monthly cash program of payment of membership contributions to international organizations;
k) Prepare request for DBM’s release of approved ICF funds;
l) Facilitate timely payment of membership contributions to international organizations and hosting of approved international conferences;
m) Monitor payment of contributions to international organizations and hosting of approved international conferences; and
n) Perform other tasks that the ICF Review Panel may require.
SECTION 4. Funding. The funds necessary for the implementation of this Order shall be shouldered by the member agencies and chargeable against their existing budget.
SECTION 5. Separability. Should any provision of this Order be declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions unaffected thereby shall remain valid and subsisting.
SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. All orders, proclamations, rules, regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SECTION 7. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately.
DONE, in the City of Manila, this 2nd day of July , in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand and Fourteen.
(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III
By the President:
(Sgd.) PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR.
Executive Secretary
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