EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 234 April 7, 1995

ESTABLISHING THE GINGOOG BAY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

WHEREAS, the Medium-Term Fisheries Management and Development Program under the Department of Agriculture's Medium-Term Agriculture Development Plan identifies Gingoog Bay as one of the country's key fisheries development area;

WHEREAS, developing Gingoog Bay as well as its surrounding municipalities of Balingoan, Talisayan, Medina and Gingoog City requires addressing urgent concerns like environmental protection, poverty alleviation, local autonomy, eco-tourism and sustainable growth;

WHEREAS, the land and the waters of the Gingoog Bay are limited natural resources requiring concerted efforts to ensure their optimal utilization and renewability to preserve its ecological balance;

WHEREAS, to enable the government to translate into reality the thrust to preserve the country's marine and coastal resources through community-based efforts consistent with the concepts of sustainable development and people empowerment, there is a need to create a body that shall formulate and implement short- and long-term plans for the area covered herein as well as address certain policy, planning and implementation issues, and to coordinate and integrate all environment and natural resources management of related government and non-government activities in the Gingoog Bay area;

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

Sec. 1. There is hereby created under the Office of the President, the Gingoog Bay Development Council, hereinafter referred as the "Council", composed of the following:

Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources — Chairman

Secretary, Department of Agriculture — Vice-Chairman

Office of the Executive Secretary — Member

Secretary, Department of Interior and Local Governments — Member

CORD for Region XI — Member

Governor of Misamis Oriental — Member

Mayors of the concerned Local Government Units — Member

3 Representatives from the Private Sector; one from a non-government organization, one from a fishing cooperativeor fisherfolk/people's organizations and one from agri-business sector — Member

Sec. 2. The Council shall be an advisory and coordinating body to the President and shall exercise the following functions and responsibilities:

a. Formulate a five-year Gingoog Bay Development Master Plan for the Gingoog Bay area covering the surrounding coastal municipalities of Balingoan, Talisayan, Medina and Gingoog and their shorelines. A concept paper for the formulation of the master plan shall be submitted not later than 30 June 1995;

b. Initiate and coordinate projects and programs for the preservation and enhancement of its ecological balance, protection and rational utilization and development of its coastal and marine resources, and for the empowerment and just sharing by the people of the localities of the fruits of development. As much as possible, there projects and programs shall be community-based and shall adhere to the principle of sustainable development;

c. Where needed and appropriate, extend and/or facilities assistance to the local government units concerned in the areas of training technical and technological know-how, planning/management and supervision, feasibility studies/research, financial and funding sources, project development and evaluation, procurement and marketing for the speedy implementation of the identified plans and projects for the Bay area;

d. Coordinate with the appropriate National Government agencies and local government authorities to strictly enforce fisheries laws, rules and regulations and prevent illegal fishing activities as well as recommend national and local legislation to further the same;

e. Conduct public consultations as well as enhance public awareness on the protection, development and optimum utilization of coastal, marine and fisheries resources;

f. Encourage people empowerment through the active participation of the private sector, especially non-government organizations, in the planning, and implementation of projects in the Bay area;

g. Initiate and coordinate investment opportunities and economic projects suitable for and consistent with the planned development of the Bay area like eco-tourism, agriculture - and fishery - based ventures as well as livelihood projects for the local communities; and

h. Perform any other functions as may be assigned by the President.

Sec. 3. The Council may call upon any government agency, office of bureau for assistance and/or form committees to facilitate the discharge of its functions and responsibilities.

Sec. 4. The Council shall submit quarterly reports of its activities to the Office of the President.

Sec. 5. The amount of Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000.00) to be drawn from the President's Contingent Fund, shall be released for the operations of the Council and initial project implementation for 1995. Appropriations for the succeeding years shall be incorporated in the budget proposals under the Office of the President.

Sec. 6. All executive issuances, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof, inconsistent with this Executive Order are hereby revoked or modified accordingly.

Sec. 7. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila this 7th day of April in the year of our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety Five.