MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
[ Memorandum Order No. 454, November 19, 1997 ]
ESTABLISHING THE FOUNDATION FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT OR FIT-ED
WHEREAS, promoting information technology education and development will enhance the Philippines information-technology capability, improve employment opportunities for Filipinos in critical high-growth areas, and help boost the countrys over-all competitiveness;
WHEREAS, to take advantage of opportunities present in the highly competitive and fast-paced field of information technology, the private sector should take a leading role in information technology education and development;
WHEREAS, there is a need to coordinate all efforts in promoting and implementing world-class information technology education and development, particularly in establishing partnerships and linkages with international information technology leaders and innovators;
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 the following:
Section 1. Establishment of Foundation. Subject to existing laws, there is hereby established a Foundation for Information Technology Education or FIT-ED.
Section 2. Objectives of FIT-ED. FIT-ED shall be responsible for establishing information technology education and development linkages with international partners and shall be responsible for carrying out projects and initiatives on information technology education and development resulting from these linkages. FIT-ED shall be led by the private sector and shall have the full cooperation of the government.
Section 3. Board of Governors. FIT-ED shall be managed by a Board of Governors, to be chaired by a leading member of the private sector with extensive experience in information technology and preferably with public sector background, to be appointed by the President, and co-chaired by the Secretary of Trade and Industry, with the following as members:
Secretary, Department of Science and Technology
Director-General, National Security Council
Director-General, National Economic Development Authority
Director, National Computer Center
Representative, Office of the President
President, Information Technology Association of the Philippines
President, Philippine Computer Society
Four other representatives from the private sector
Section 4. FIT-ED Partners. FIT-ED shall have partner institutions which shall be directly involved in IT education and development. The FIT-ED Board of Governors shall determine the criteria for selecting partner institutions and shall appoint them as necessary.
Section 5. FIT-ED Fund. FIT-ED shall maintain a fund for its operating expenses. Subject to relevant laws and regulations, FIT-ED shall have the authority to accept funds for this purpose from non-governmental sources. The amount of P10,000,000.00 is hereby given to the FIT-ED Fund as the Governments contribution, which amount shall be taken from the funds of the Office of the President.
Section 6. Secretariat. FIT-ED shall have a Secretariat to be housed within premises to be decided by the FIT-ED Board of Governors. The FIT-ED Secretariat may be housed within the premises of a private-sector member of FIT-ED. The FIT-ED Secretariat shall be headed by an Executive Director to be appointed by the FIT-ED Board of Governors, upon the recommendation of the Co-Chairs of the FIT-ED Board of Governors. The Executive Director shall be the chief operating officer of FIT-ED and shall serve as a functional link between international information technology partners; the FIT-ED Board and the FIT-ED partners.
Section 7. FIT-ED Website. The FIT-ED Secretariat shall establish and maintain a Website for FIT-ED.1aшphi1
Section 8. Incorporation of FIT-ED. FIT-ED shall be incorporated as a Philippine non-stock, non-profit corporation under existing laws. Appropriate incorporation papers shall be submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission within 60 days from the issuance of this memorandum order.
Section 9. Costs. Costs relating to the incorporation of FIT-ED, the establishment of its Secretariat and Website as well as other similar expenses will be taken from the FIT-ED Fund.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 19th day of November in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety Seven.
(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
By the President:
(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary
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