WHEREAS, the growth and development in tourism accommodations and facilities underscore the need for concerted and planned efforts to promote the Philippines not only as tourism destination in the area but also, a center of world gatherings and conventions; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary that an entity be created through which the government and the private sector in the tourism and allied fields can pool their resources, talents and efforts to achieve and attain the above-mentioned goals, along definite guidelines and mechanics.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, hereby decree that:
SECTION 1. There is hereby created a body to be known as the PHILIPPINE CONVENTION BUREAU which shall have its main office in the Metro Manila Area.
SEC. 2. Objectives. The general objectives of the Philippine Convention Bureau are:
SEC. 3. Membership. Membership in the Philippine Convention Bureau may be opened to entities, groups or individuals that have direct or indirect economic, social or cultural interest in conventions, such as shipping companies, souvenir and gift shops, manufacturers, exhibit promoters, international frienship organizations, interested national organizations, etc. However, membership in the Bureau for hotels, travel agencies, tour operators, tourism-oriented restaurants, clubs, resorts, tourist transport operators and Philippine passenger airlines shall be a requirement for the issuance of their respective licenses.
There shall be Membership Committee to be created by the Board of Governors whose principal duty is to screen and submit to the Board findings on all applications for membership.
The Board of Governors shall exercise exclusive authority in approving Membership with a simple majority vote of all the Members of the Board.
SEC. 4. Governing Body. There shall be a policy-making body to be known as the Board of Governors whose membership shall be drawn from the government and private sectors that are directly involved in the planning and facilitation of efficient operations of the Bureau, namely:
The Chairman of the Board of Governors shall be assisted by a Vice-Chairman who shall be elected from among the members of the Board. The Convention Director shall sit in the Board as an ex-officio member.
The term of all members coming from the government sector shall be co-terminus with the tenure of their respective government positions they concurrently occupy.
SEC. 5. Terms of Office. The term of the Board Members representing the private group shall run co-terminus with their tenure as officials of their respective Associations. Upon the expiration of their tenure in the Association, they may continue to sit in the Board as long as their retention in such capacity is officially voted upon and endorsed by the Association concerned.
The representative of Philippine Airlines to the Board shall be nominated by the PAL Management and will sit in as Member of the Board until such time when PAL Management shall have withdrawn his appointment in favor of another.
SEC. 6. Compensation of the Board of Governors. Members of the Board of Governors shall not be entitled to any compensation except a per diem of P200.00 for every actual attendance of a meeting and expenses for mission or assignment undertaken for the Bureau.
SEC. 7. Powers and Duties of the Board of Governors. The Board shall have the following powers and duties:
SEC. 8. Executive Body. The Executive Power shall be vested in the office of the Convention Director whose primary duty is to oversee the operations of the Bureau. He shall be assisted by an Assistant Convention Manager.
The Convention Director and the Assistant Convention Director shall be elected by a vote of at least 8 Members of the Board of Governors. The Convention Director shall serve as the Bureau's Chief Executive Officer prescribed by the Board of Governors.
The tenure of the Convention Director shall be fixed by the Board of Governors.
All other appointments to all positions in the Bureau shall be acted upon and approved by the Board of Governors upon the recommendation of the Convention Director.
SEC. 9. Duties of the Convention Director.
SEC. 10. Duties of the Assistant Convention Director.
SEC. 11. The Bureau shall have the following divisions: Administrative, Research and Statistics, Consultation and Liaison and a Secretariat. The Board of Governor, may, however, create such other divisions or staff as will promote and improve the functioning and operation of the Bureau.
SEC. 12. Duties of the Administrative Division. The Administrative Division shall take charge of keeping all the records of the Bureau and the management and of its employees.
It shall also be responsible for keeping a book of accounts to keep track of all disbursements.
SEC. 13. Duties of the Research and Statistics. The Research and Statistics Division shall undertake a continuous program of research covering such areas as what world organizations are meeting, where and when they are held, who is who in each organization, what attraction would best appeal to most of each group in terms of facilities or resources and how this attraction can be best presented. This task involves the gathering of all available information materials and statistics on conventions.
SEC. 14. Duties of the Marketing and Promotions Division. The Marketing and Promotions Division shall devise and spearhead a sustained promotional scheme covering all general and specialized media here and abroad to project and publicized Manila as a convention venue.
SEC. 15. Duties of the Consultation and Liaison Division. The Consultation and Liaison Division shall maintain a continuing relationship with those agencies or organizations concerned by organizing or hosting regular consultation meetings to ensure proper reception facilities and services to conventioneers, and/or to provide upon request, the necessary guidance regarding the technical aspects of holding conventions.
SEC. 16. Duties of the Convention Secretariat. The Secretariat shall form, train and maintain a nuclues of personnel who shall actively assist conference organizers in the planning, preparation, promotion, staffing operations and liquidation of any type of meetings or conventions.
SEC. 17. Source of Financing. The operational expenses of the Philippine Convention Bureau shall be drawn from the following: (1) A 25% share for the first year and 10% share thereafter from the annual travel tax fund (2) A uniform P200,000.00 yearly contribution from each of the government Board member institutions including the Philippine Airlines (3) Membership contribution to the extent of 1-½% of the gross annual income of individual members from the private sector (4) 50% of the annual hotel room tax fund (5) Convention Bureau members who are not engaged in profit making enterprises which shall be fixed by the Board of Governors (6) Subsidies and/or grants that may be received for the Philippine Convention Bureau.
SEC. 18. Tax Exemptions. The Philippine Convention Bureau shall be exempted from the payment of income and donee's taxes and all donations and contributions to the Bureau will be deductible from the donor's income for tax purposes.
SEC. 19. Appropriation. Only for the first year of operations of the Convention Bureau, the sum of 10 Million Pesos is hereby appropriated out of any fund in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated to be released in lump sum upon the approval of this Decree.
This Decree shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila, this 2nd day of January, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-six.
(Sgd.) |
FERDINAND E. MARCOS | ||||||||
President |
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Republic of the Philippines | |||||||||
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By the President: | ||||||||
(Sgd.) |
JACOBO C. CLAVE | ||||||||
Presidential Executive Assistant |