1. In the hope of providing students with profound options in the wake of the real and current difficulty either to pursue higher education or land a decent job in the country, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), through the Center for Students and Co-Curricular Affairs (CSCA) and in coordination with the Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE), and the then Office of Youth Sector Representative Anna Marie Periquet, with the partnership of the Department of Trade and industry (DTI), Cooperatives Development Authority (CDA) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), launched the Youth Entrepreneurship and Cooperatives in Schools (YECS) Program in April 1997. These agencies believe that with good foundation on entrepreneurship and cooperatives at the secondary level, the youth can evolve into creative and productive citizens capable of establishing their own sources of livelihood and eventually supporting their own tertiary education.

2. In view thereof, and in line with the pro-poor agenda of His Excellency, President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, the DECS, in cooperation with its partner agencies, shall initiate the expansion of the coverage of the YECS Program and the training of School-Based Moderators and other personnel involved in the program implementation.

3. To this effect, all DECS Regional Offices are enjoined to expand its coverage of the YECS Program to include at least one (1) secondary school per division every year and to implement the same in accordance with the Revised YECS Concept Paper and the Implementing Rules and Regulations contained in Inclosures^* A and B to this Order respectively.

4. All Regional Offices are required to submit a Five-Year Expansion Plan (1999-2004) according to specifications by YECS Technical Working Group as contained in indosure C^*

5. As such, all designated YECS Regional Coordinators are encouraged to coordinate closely with the partner agencies and to initiate the implementation of this Order down to the school level.

6. In view of this, all designated YECS School-Based Moderators and Alternates, and other under this expansion plan must undergo an intensive training on cooperativism and entrepreneurship to adequately guide the implementors of the YECS Program.

7. While the partner agencies are expected to provide technical and other forms of assistance, expenses for this training are chargeable against Regional/Division Office concerned, local funds and the School Board fund with support from the funds allocated for student and co-curricular activities in the Office of the Secretary under Special Provisions of the DECS budget in the General Appropriations Act, subject to its availability and the usual accounting rules and regulations.

8. Immediate and wide dissemination of this Order is expected.

Adopted: 07 Oct. 1999

(SGD.)ANDREWGONZALEZ.FSC
Secretary

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^* Text Available at Office of the National Administrative Register, U.P. Law Complex, Diliman, Quezon City.

^* Text Available at Office of the National Administrative Register, U.P. Law Complex, Diliman, Quezon City.