ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 125, July 07, 1950

MALACAÑAN PALACE

MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 125, July 07, 1950 ]

CREATING A COMMITTEE TO PREPARE ALL THE PAPERS NECESSARY FOR THE EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION OF THE PHILIPPINES IN THE TARIFF NEGOTIATIONS UNDER THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE TO BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 28, 1950, AT TORQUAY, ENGLAND

WHEREAS, the Philippines is participating in the third round of tariff negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) of the International Trade Organization to be held beginning September 28, 1950, at Torquay, England;

WHEREAS, for effective participation in said negotiations it is necessary that the Philippine representatives be provided, before sitting at the conference, with schedules of countries with which it is considered desirable to increase trade, of the products the Philippines proposes to import from and to export to those countries, of the maxima and the minima of tariff concessions that this country would be willing to recommend for approval by the Congress of the Philippines on particular products, and of the minimum amount of concessions that the Philippines would like to receive from said countries for its export products; and

WHEREAS, the preparation of such schedules involve detailed and intensive examination, on a product-by-product basis, of relative prices of imported goods coming from different sources and the effect on them of import duties imposed under existing laws as well as the possibilities for expanding sales of Philippine exports in markets other than the United States should tariff reductions be given them in those markets;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ELPIDIO QUIRINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby create, under the general supervision of the Secretary of Finance, a committee composed of the following:

Mr. Alfredo de Leon, Bureau of Customs	Chairman
Mr. Saturnino Mendinueto, Department of Commerce & Industry	Member
Mr. Filemon Rodriguez, National Power Corporation	“
Mr. Leonides Virata, Central Bank of the Philippines	”
Dr. Amando Dalisay, National Economic Council	Member
Mr. Cesar Lanuza, Department of Foreign Affairs	”
Mr. Jose M. Trinidad, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources	”
Mr. Cesar Lorenzo, Central Bank of the Philippines	“
Mr. Eriberto Manabat, Philippine Relief and Trade Rehabilitation Administration	“
Mr. Amado R. Briñas, Department of Finance	“
Mr. Montano A. Tejam, Department of Finance	“

The Committee shall convene at once and hold such number of sessions and create among its members such study groups to draft the proposals and objectives of the Philippine Government as shall be necessary and submit the same to the Secretary of Finance not later than August 31, 1950, for policy-level consideration.

The Committee is hereby empowered to call upon any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the Government for such assistance, data and information as it may need in carrying out its functions.

Done in the City of Manila, this 7th day of July, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and fifty, and of the Independence of the Philippines, the fifth.

(Sgd.) ELPIDIO QUIRINO

President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) TEODORO EVANGELISTA

Executive Secretary