Executive Order No. 18, May 25, 2001

AMENDING CERTAIN PORTIONS OF EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 264, SERIES OF 2000. ENTITLED "ESTABLISHING THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ELECTRONIC COMMERCE COUNCIL (ITECC) FROM THE MERGER OF THE NATIONAL INFORAMTION TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL (NITC) AND THE ELECTRONIC COMMERCE PROMOTION COUNCIL (ECPC)"

WHEREAS, the State recognizes the growing importance of Information and communications technology (ICT) in the achievement of national goals;

WHEREAS, the State recognizes the need to develop ICT policies and competencies in order to participate actively in the New Economy and become the leading sector in economic growth;

WHEREAS, the State also recognizes the need to harmonize and coordinate the government’s and private sector’s ICT programs and projects and other ICT-related initiatives to ensure their consistency with the government’s overall development goals;

WHEREAS, the Information and Technology and Electronic Commerce Council (ITECC), created pursuant to Executive Order No. 264 dated July 12, 2000 from the merger of NITC and ECPC, was established to function as the primary planning and policy advisory body on development, promotion and application of national ICT and e-commerce initiatives;

WHEREAS, there is a need to enhance, expand and accelerate decision-making and ICT-related activities that will redound to the Council’s organizational effectiveness.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the power vested upon me by law, do hereby amend, Executive Order No. 264, series of 2000, and order the following:

Section 1. Reorganization of the Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Council. Section 3 of the Executive Order No. 264 is amended to read as follows:

"Section 3. Membership. The Council shall be composed of ten (10) members from government and eight (8) members from the private sector as follows:

President, Republic of the Philippines	-	Chairperson
Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry	-	Co-Chair
Private Sector Representative	-	Co-Chair
Secretary, Department of Science and Technology	-	Member
Secretary, Socio-Economic Planning and Director-General, National Economic and Development Authority	-	Member
Secretary, Department of Transportation and Communications/National Telecommunications Commission	-	Member
Secretary, Department of Budget and Management	-	Member
Secretary, Department of Education, Culture Sports	-	Member
Secretary, Department of Interior and Local Government	-	Member
Director-General, National Computer Center	-	Member
Chairperson, Commission on Higher Education	-	Member
Seven (7) other private sector representatives, who shall represent the academe, private industries, and consumer groups, directly related to ICT/e-commerce		Member

 Private sector representatives, including the Co-Chairperson, shall be appointed by the Council for a term of not more than three (3) years each, which may be extended for another three-year period."

Section 2. Section 8 of Executive Order No. 264 is deleted.

Section 3. Transfer of Secretariat. Section 9 of Executive Order No. 264 is amended to read as follows:

"Section 9. Secretariat. A permanent secretariat shall be constituted to provide technical and administrative support to the Council. The secretariat shall be based at the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) and shall be headed by an Executive Director to be appointed by the President. Additional technical and administrative staff from members of the Council may also be detailed or seconded to the Secretariat as necessary."

Section 4. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE, in the City of Manila, this 25th day of May in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand and One.

(Sgd.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

By the President:

(Sgd.) WALDO Q. FLORES

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary