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MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ Memorandum Order No. 362, April 26, 1996 ]

DIRECTING THE FORMATION OF A TASK FORCE ON THE MANILA PEOPLES FORUM ON APEC 1996

WHEREAS, an association of international and local non-government organizations (NGOs) has been formed to serve as a parallel forum of the NGO sector to the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM) in November 1996 in Subic;

WHEREAS, this NGO forum is expected to hold various meetings and public assemblies prior to the AELM and has the potential of diverting the focus both of media and our people away from the Philippine hosting of APEC and the benefits of Philippine membership in APEC;

WHEREAS, it is deemed best to explore ways and means of identifying and promoting areas of common interests and complementarities with the NGOs provided they will not prejudice Philippine interests while hosting the meetings given that the theme of the Philippine hosting of APEC 1996 revolves around “building the spirit of APEC community”;

WHEREAS, the NGO forum demands from government a coherent response to the concerns and issues raised by the NGO sector;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

Section 1. Organization. There is hereby created a Task Force on the Manila Peoples Forum for APEC 1996 whose membership shall be as follows:

Head	Department of Agrarian Reform
Members	Department of Trade and Industry
	Department of the Interior and Local
	Government/Philippine National Police
	Armed Forces of the Philippines
	Department of Foreign Affairs
	National Economic and Development Authority
	Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority
	APEC-National Organizing Committee
	One Private Sector Representative (designated by DAR)

The Task Force shall be convened within ten (10) days from the effectivity of this order.

Section 2. Functions. The Committee shall:

1. Make formal contact and establish cordial relations with the local organizers of the NGO Meeting;

2. Explore ways and means of identifying and promoting areas of common interests and complementarities with the Non-Government Organizations, provided they will not be prejudicial to Philippine interests, while hosting the APEC meetings;

3. Formulate an action plan, submit the plan for consideration and review of the APEC Executive Committee to whom it shall report, and spearhead the implementation of the plan;

4. Such other functions as may be assigned to it by the APEC Executive Committee in relation to the Manila Peoples Forum on APEC 1996.1aшphi1

Section 3. Technical and Administrative Support. The Committee shall organize its own Secretariat, the composition of which shall be drawn from the member agencies.

Section 4. Effectivity. This Memorandum Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 26th day of April in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Six.

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS

By the President:

(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary

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