EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 604, February 16, 2007

CREATING THE PRESIDENTIAL COORDINATING COUNCIL ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

WHEREAS, technology is the foundation of future economic development.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA M. ARROYO, President of the Philippines by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

Section 1. Creation of the Presidential Coordinating Council on Research and Development (R & D Council), composed of the following:

Chair – President of the Philippines

Vice Chair - Secretary of Science and Technology

Members  -  Secretary of Agriculture

Secretary of Budget and Management

Secretary of Energy

Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources

Secretary of Foreign Affairs

Secretary of Health

Secretary of National Defense

Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning

Secretary of Trade and Industry

Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education

Chairman of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology

President of the National Academy of Science and Technology

President of the National Research Council of the Philippines

Five (5) representatives from the private sector

Two (2) representatives from organizations of scientists and engineers engaged in research and development.

Section 2. Powers and Functions. - The R & D Council shall:

a. Review the institutional arrangements for coordinating the R & D activities of departments, agencies, academe, business sector and non-government organizations and recommend and appropriate regular and permanent institutional arrangement for coordinating and overseeing the allocation of R & D budgets to government departments, agencies and state colleges and universities with the objective of attaining private and public sector R & D funding increases to 0.5% of the country's Gross Domestic Product by 2010.

b. Recommend a system of establishing priority R & D areas where government funding should be directed.

c. Institute appropriate measures to establish a monitoring and evaluation system for both public and private R & D institutions that use public funds.

d. Recommend mechanisms, structures and measures to encourage greater private R & D funding as well as international funding for R & D initiatives.

e. Perform such other functions as may be assigned by the President.

Section 3. Secretariat and Technical Working Group. - The R & D Council shall have a Secretariat composed of personnel drawn primarily from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

The R & D Council may create technical working groups to be composed of technical staff from member organizations and the DOST sectoral planning councils.

Section 4. Funding. - The activities and operational expenses of the R & D Council shall be funded from the DOST budget appropriations.

Section 5. Repealing Clause. - All executive issuances, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provision of this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 6. Separability Clause. - If any section or provision of this Executive Order shall be declared unconstitutional or valid, the other sections or provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 7. Effectivity. - This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 16th day of February in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Seven.

(Sgd.) GLORIA M. ARROYO

By the President:

(Sgd.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA

Executive Secretary