Reorganizing And Renaming The Philippine Council On Asean And APEC Cooperation Into The Philippine Council For Regional Cooperation

Case Overview and Summary

Summary of Administrative Order No. 20

Reorganizing and Renaming the Philippine Council on ASEAN and APEC Cooperation
- Section 1: The Philippine Council on ASEAN and APEC Cooperation (PCAAC) is reorganized and renamed as the Philippine Council for Regional Cooperation (PCRC) to cover concerns arising from ASEAN, APEC, ASEM, FEALAC, and similar regional initiatives.

Composition of the Cabinet-Level PCRC
- Section 2: The Cabinet-level PCRC is composed of various Secretaries and heads of government agencies.

Composition of PCRC Sub-Cabinet Level Technical Boards
- Section 3: The PCRC has four sub-Cabinet level Technical Boards: ASEAN Matters Technical Board (AMTB), Technical Board on APEC Matters (TBAM), Technical Board on ASEM Concerns (TBAC), and Technical Board on FEALAC Matters (TBFM).
- Section 4: The AMTB has three Committees corresponding to the three ASEAN Communities: Committee for ASEAN Political Security Community (CAPSC), Committee for ASEAN Economic Community (CAEC), and Committee for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (CASCC).

Composition of TBAM, TBAC, and TBFM
- Section 5: The TBAM is composed of departments and agencies concerned with APEC Matters.
- Section 6: The TBAC is composed of departments and agencies concerned with ASEM cooperation.
- Section 7: The TBFM is composed of departments and agencies concerned with FEALAC cooperation.

Secretariat Support
- Section 8: Secretariat support for the PCRC and its Technical Boards and Committees is provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Trade and Industry, and Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Creation of Other Technical Boards, Committees, and Working Groups
- Section 9: The PCRC may create other Technical Boards, Committees, and/or working groups as necessary.

Authority of the Chairperson
- Section 10: The Chairperson of the PCRC may invite other departments or agencies to become members, and reorganize or alter the membership of the PCRC, its Technical Boards, or Committees.

Designation of Regular Contact Offices/Persons
- Section 11: All members of the PCRC, its Technical Boards, and Committees shall designate regular contact offices/persons for effective coordination.

Regular Coordination Meetings
- Section 12: The Chairperson of the PCRC shall organize regular coordination meetings to discuss Philippine concerns and positions with regional or inter-regional organizations.

Meetings of Technical Boards and Committees
- Section 13: The Technical Boards and Committees shall schedule their own regular meetings.

Consultation with Stakeholders
- Section 14: Each Technical Board shall consult with stakeholders such as the academe, civil society organizations, and business sectors on important and strategic issues relevant to their respective regional or inter-regional organization.

Capacity and Resource Enhancement
- Section 15: The member departments and agencies of the PCRC, its Technical Boards, and Committees shall ensure that resources are available for their offices and units responsible for regional cooperation matters.

Funding
- Section 16: The Department of Budget and Management is directed to appropriate and release an initial amount of Two Million Pesos (Php 2,000,000) for the financial and operational requirements of the PCRC, chargeable against the existing funds of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Separability Clause
- Section 17: If any provision of this Order is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

Repealing Clause
- Section 18: All other issuances, orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, inconsistent with this Administrative Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Effectivity
- Section 19: This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.