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WHEREAS, the Indonesian Government, the convenor of the annual informal Workshops on "Managing Potential Conflicts in the South China Sea", has invited the Philippines to host one or both of the two Working Groups established by the third Workshop held in Yogyakarta in 1992;

WHEREAS, these annual Workshops, although unofficial in nature, constitute an important confidence-building mechanism and a valuable dialogue forum for maintaining the peace and avoiding conflict over an area that is commonly regarded as a potential "flashpoint";

WHEREAS, the Philippine Government has accepted the Indonesia invitation and decided to host and organize the Working Group on Marine Scientific Research in March 1993;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Government considers the responsibility of hosting the Working Group on Marine Scientific Research in the South China Sea to be an important and valuable one because the Working Group will form an active part of a peace process aimed at promoting cooperation and avoiding conflict in the South China Sea, and will provide opportunities for joint efforts in marine scientific research which could yield valuable results for the populations and ecologies of the region;

WHEREAS, there is a need to constitute a Steering Committee to undertake and coordinate the preparatory work for the meetings and other activities of the Working Group;

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

SECTION 1. The Steering Committee which will undertake and coordinate the preparatory work for the Working Group on Marine Scientific Research in the South China Sea is hereby constituted and shall be composed of representatives from the following:

Department of Foreign Affairs	–	Chairman
Department of Science and Technology	–	Vice-Chairman
Department of Environment and Natural Resources	–	Member
Department of National Defense	–	Member
Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines	–	Member
Office of the National Security Adviser	–	Member
Institute of Strategic and Development Studies	–	Member

The Steering Committee shall be under the direction of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

SEC. 2. The Steering Committee shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

To plan and coordinate the preparatory work for the Working Group on Marine Scientific Research in the South China Sea;

b To provide secretarial and other staff support for the meetings and other activities of the Working Group;

To call upon any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the Philippine Government for such assistance as it may require in the performance of its duties and functions; and

To submit reports to the President, through the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, on its activities, including the disposition of funds received from local and other sources in support of its activities and work of the Working Group.

SEC. 3. The Steering Committee shall be assisted by a Secretariat to be headed by the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Department of Foreign Affairs may designate members of the Secretariat from among the member-agencies of the Steering Committee.

SEC. 4. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 1st day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety three.


By the President:
(Sgd.) ANTONIO T. CARPIO
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel