Memorandum Order No. 326




MALACAÑAN PALACE MANILA BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES [ Memorandum Order No. 326, December 12, 1995 ] RE-ESTABLISHING AND RE-ACTIVATING THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT COORDINATING CENTER (OPCC) FOR THE STATE VISITS TO THAILAND AND CAMBODIA WHEREAS, the OPCC was established as an ad-hoc body in the Office of the President to provide timely information to the President on evolving critical issues and developments during the period of the President’s conduct of foreign visits; WHEREAS, the OPCC was initially activated on 24-hour operation during the state visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 26–30 January 1993, and was last reactivated during the President’s Visit to Japan 15 to 19 November 1995; WHEREAS, there is need to establish a high level monitoring and reporting system that will cover all sectors and issues nationwide during the state visits of the President to Thailand and Cambodia; NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby re-establish and re-activate the operation of the Office of the President Coordinating Center during the state visits to Thailand and Cambodia (13 to 18 December 1995). Section 1. COMPOSITION. The OPCC will be under the overall supervision and responsibility of the Executive Secretary as OPCC Chairman. The Secretaries of National Defense and Interior and Local Government will serve as OPCC Vice-Chairmen. There will be an Executive Committee composed of the following: National Security Adviser, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, Senior Deputy Executive Secretary, Head, Presidential Management Staff, and the Press Secretary. The OPCC Chairman will coordinate with the Vice-President, Senate President, and the Speaker of the House, whenever necessary. Section 2. FUNCTIONS. The functions of the OPCC will primarily include: a. Provide timely information to the President on evolving critical issues and developments during the period through the regular submission of OPCC Bulletins; b Provide a feedback system among and between agencies and the OP in carrying out the President’s Directives while in Thailand and Cambodia; c Provide a channel of coordination and collaboration in the management of government affairs during the President’s absence; d Conduct regular meetings to assess the situation and the operations of the Center; and e Undertake other activities that may be directed by the President. Section 3. OPERATING STRUCTURE. The OPCC will be operational for the period 130600H December to 182000H December 1995 and will involve the participation and cooperation of departments and agencies under the Executive Branch to be grouped into the following operating units: a Expanded Task Force Lily composed of the DA/NFA/NIA/SRA, DILG/PNP, DFA, DND, DOJ/NBI, DOE/NPC/NEA, DOTC, DPWH/MWSS, DOLE/OWWA, DTI, MMDA, OPS, OP (Legal, PACE, OES), NICA, Mount Pinatubo Commission, and PAs for Political Affairs, Police Affairs, Military Affairs, and Legislative Liaison; b Counterpart Coordinating Centers in all Departments and Agencies including Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations; c Regional Coordinating Centers composed of heads of all regional government offices; and d. OPCC Support Groups: 1) Media Support Group composed of the OPS as lead agency, PR groups of government agencies including GOCCs and other outfits involved in media and communication; and 2) OPCC Secretariat composed of the PMS. The OPCC may call upon any government agency or instrumentality to participate and cooperate in the monitoring activities as may be necessary. For this purpose, all Cabinet Members and Heads of Agencies will provide the OPCC Secretariat with the telephone number(s) where they can be accessed on a 24-hour basis. Section 4. EXPANDED TASK FORCE LILY. The Expanded Task Force Lily will operate on a 24-hour basis at the 4th Floor of the New Executive Building (NEB), Malacañang, Manila. The member agencies will designate senior officials of their respective departments/agencies who will undertake 12-hour shifts at the NEB. Said senior officials should have ranks of at least Undersecretary or Asst. Secretary (for departments) or should be the head of agency, deputy head of agency, or senior manager/director (for other agencies). The Expanded Task Force Lily will focus their monitoring and coordinating activities on security, peace and order, and other critical issues and services (e.g. rice, oil situation, calamity, power situation, etc.). In line with this, they will submit reports to the OPCC, through its Secretariat, at 4-hour intervals. Departments/agencies under the Expanded Task Force Lily will share computer and communication equipment for their NEB operations for the duration of the President’s visits to Thailand and Cambodia. Section 5. COUNTERPART COORDINATING CENTERS. The Counterpart Coordinating Centers (CCCs) in all Departments and Agencies including GOCCs will be re-established in their respective Offices primarily to monitor and coordinate their respective sectors. Said Centers will operate on a 24-hour basis under the supervision of duly-designated action officers with ranks of at least Undersecretary or Asst. Secretary (for departments) or should be the head of agency, deputy head of agency, or senior manager/director (for other agencies). Said action officers should have access to their department/agency heads on a 24-hour basis. The CCCs will submit monitoring reports on their respective sectors at 6-hour intervals to the OPCC Secretariat. Section 6. REGIONAL COORDINATING CENTERS. The Regional Director of the Department of Interior and Local Government will ensure the establishment of Regional Coordinating Centers (RCCs) in their respective regions by 121700H December 1995. The RCCs will operate on a 24-hour basis and will be based at the PNP Regional Headquarters. The member agencies will designate senior officials of their respective offices who will undertake 12-hour shifts at the PNP RECOM. Said senior officials should have ranks of at least Director III / II or should be the head / deputy of the regional office. The RCCs will focus their monitoring and coordinating activities on regional developments and activities. In line with this, they will submit reports directly to the OPCC, through its Secretariat, at 6-hour intervals. Departments/agencies under the RCCs will share computer and communication equipment and office supplies for their operations for the duration of the President’s Visits to Thailand and Cambodia. Section 7. OPCC SUPPORT GROUPS. The following will serve as support units to the OPCC: a. Media Support Group composed of the OPS as lead agency, OPS-attached agencies, PR groups of government agencies including GOCCs and other outfits involved in media and communication. It will monitor and assess tri-media reports, prepare press statements on actions taken on issues and concerns raised by the media based on inputs provided by the OPS or OPCC and ensure the dissemination of press statements to tri-media networks. It will be supervised by a senior official of the OPS with the rank of at least an Assistant Secretary. Its personnel and duty officers will undertake 12-hour shifts at the OPS, Kalayaan Hall, Malacañang Palace. b. OPCC Secretariat composed of PMS personnel, it will operate at the 10th Floor, PMS Building, Arlegui St., Malacañang. The OPCC Secretariat will provide the overall technical and administrative support to the OPCC on a 24-hour basis, including the consolidation of monitoring reports for submission to the OPCC Chairman/Execom Duty officer. Section 8. OPCC SUPERVISION. The operation of the OPCC will be supervised on a 24-hour rotation basis by the OPCC Chairman, OPCC Vice-Chairmen, or a member of the Executive Committee.1aшphi1 OPCC reports to the President will be signed by the OPCC Chairman or the OPCC Duty Officer (Vice Chairmen or Executive Committee member). Section 9. FUNDING SUPPORT. The OPCC-Thailand and Cambodia will be allocated the amount of P199,550.00 to be sourced from the Office of the President.1aшphi1 Said funds will be released to and administered by the OPCC Secretariat. Section 10. TERMINAL REPORT. The OPCC Chairman will submit a terminal report to the President upon closure of OPCC operations which will include an overall assessment of the operation and the participation and support of all involved agencies. Section 11. EFFECTIVITY. This memorandum shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect until 182000H December 1995. Done in the City of Manila, this 12th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety five. (Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS By the President (Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES Executive Secretary The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation