WHEREAS, the 1987 Constitution
mandates as a policy of the State the protection and
advancement of the right of the people to a balanced and
healthful ecology in accordance with the rhythm and
harmony of nature;
WHEREAS, the Philippines formally
adopted sustainable development as a guiding principle
in development efforts through the adoption of a
national conservation strategy for sustainable
development which was presented by the country during
the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro;
WHEREAS, the UNCED adopted a
resolution for the creation of a Sustainable Development
Commission that will evaluate and monitor adherence to
the agreements and commitments made in Rio and urged
governments to form similar bodies that will ensure that
activities at the national level are implemented and
coordinated with global efforts:
WHEREAS, the creation of the
Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) on
01 September 1992, by virtue of Executive Order No 15,
is a manifestation of the country's adherence to the
principles set forth in Rio and ensures that these
commitments are implemented, periodically monitored and
coordinated;
WHEREAS, the PCSD, through
effective collaborative efforts with civil society and
financial support from the United Nations Development
Programme - Capacity 21 facility, initiated the
formulation of the Philippine Agenda (PA) 2 1, a
consensus document which is envisioned to guide the
sustainable development path of the country;
WHEREAS, the PA 21 , which is
built upon the principles of subsidiarity
(self-governance), consensus building, open access and
multistakeholdership, embodies the common resolve of
government, business and the civil society to
operationalize the sustainable development vision;
WHEREAS, the operationalization of
the PA 21 requires the integration of the various
overarching dimensions and components of sustainable
development and the need for participation of
government, business and civil society;
WHEREAS, it is necessary to
strengthen the Philippine Council for Sustainable
Development to institutionalize the support of other key
sectors of the society and to further enhance its
ability to coordinate planning and policy formulation,
monitoring and evaluation in the pursuit of sustainable
development;
NOW, THEREFORE, I FIDEL V. RAMOS,
President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers
vested in me by law, do hereby order:
SECTION 1. Strengthening the PCSD. The
Philippine Council for Sustainable Development,
hereinafter referred to as the Council, is hereby
strengthened, structurally and functionally, in
accordance with the provisions of this Executive Order.
SECTION 2. Composition of the Council
- The Chairperson of the Council
shall be the Secretary of SocioEconomic Planning as
NEDA Director-General and Chair of the POPCOM Board
of Commissioners, with the Secretary of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
as Vice-Chairperson.
- The members of the Council
from government shall be regular officers from the
following departments with a rank of director or
higher, duly deputized to represent their respective
secretaries and committed to the cause of
sustainable development:
-
Department of Foreign Affairs
-
Department of Science and
Technology
-
Department of Finance
-
Department of Agriculture
-
Department of Public Works and
Highways
-
Department of Education,
Culture and Sports
-
Department of Labor and
Employment
-
Department of Health
-
Department of Trade and
Industry
-
Department of Interior and
Local Government
-
. Department of Social Welfare
and Development
-
Department of Budget and
Management
-
Department of National Defense
-
Department of Energy
-
Department of Transportation
and Communication
-
Department of Agrarian Reform
- Civil society, composed of
people's organizations, non-government organizations
and sectoral / major groups representation shall
have nine (9) Council members selected by their
community, based on their commitment to sustainable
development concerns, through a process designed by
them. These shall include the following major
groups: women, youth, farmers, fisherfolk,
indigenous people, Moro and Cordillera people, urban
poor, persons with disabilities, academe,
professionals, media, religious groups and NGOs.
- Labor and business shall have
two (2) representatives each in the Council.
Representation shall, likewise, be decided through a
process to be designed by them.
The Council shall have the authority to invite any
government agency or non-government entity as resource
person.
SECTION 3. Composition of the PCSD Committee.
In support of the PCSD, their shall be created under the
Council four (4) committees corresponding to the 4 major
areas of concern of the global Agenda 21. The government
representatives to these committees shall be at least
division chiefs in their agencies. When necessary,
sub-committees may becreated.
These committees and their composition shall be as
follows:
1.Committee on Social and Economic Dimensions (CSED)
National Economic and Development Authority -
Chairman Department of Interior and Local Government - Members Department of
Environment and Natural Resources Department of Finance Department of Science
and Technology Department of Agrarian Reform Department of Labor and Employment
Department of Health Department of Social Welfare and Development
Department of Trade and Industry
Department of National Defense
Department of Agriculture
Department of Public Works and Highways
Department of Education, Culture and Sports
Commission on Population Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council
2. Committee on Conservation and Management of
Resources for Development (CCMRD)
Department of Environment and Natural Resources -
Chairman Department of Science and Technology - Members
Department of Agriculture Department of Health
Department of Interior and Local Government Department of Tourism
Department of Agrarian Reform
Department of Transportation and Communication
Department of Energy Department of Trade and Industry
Department of National Defense
National Museum Representatives from business and civil society
3. Committee on Strengthening the Role of Major
Groups {CSED)
Department of Interior and Local Government -
Chairman National Economic and Development Authority - Members
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Department of Science and Technology
Department of Labor and Employment
Department of Agriculture Department of Education, Culture and Sports
Department of Tourism Department of Agrarian Reform
UP Institute of Environment and Science League of Provinces
League of Cities League of Municipalities League of Barangays
Representatives from business and civil society
4. Committee on Means of Implementation (CMI)
Department of Science and Technology - Chairman
National Economic and Development Authority - Members
Department of Public Works and Highways
Department of Foreign Affairs Department of Finance
Department of Education, Culture and Sports
Department of Interior and Local Government
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Department of Budget and Management
Commission on Higher Education
Philippine Information Agency
Local Government Academy
Representatives from business and civil society
The composition of each committee may be
expanded, reduced or reconstituted upon the
recommendation of the concerned committee and approval
by the Council.
Membership in the committees and
sub-committees of the Council by members of the
non-government community, including civil society,
business and labor, shall be determined through a
process designed by them. In each of these committees,
there shall be a Co-chair, who shall not be from the
government sector, to be elected by the committee
members.
SECTION 4. Powers and Functions of the Council
- To review and ensure the
implementation of the commitments made by the
Philippines in the light of the UNCED and PA 21;
-
To establish guidelines and
mechanisms that will expand, concretize and
operationalize the sustainable development
principles, as embodied in the Rio Declaration, the
UNCED, Agenda 21, the National Conservation Strategy
and the Philippine Agenda 2 1, and incorporate them
in the preparation of the Medium-Term Philippine
Development Plan, both at the national and local
levels, with active participation from the
non-government sector and people's organizations;
-
To formulate policy reforms,
programs and projects and recommend new legislations
that respond to continuing and emerging issues and
charting future actions in related to environment
and sustainable development;
-
To provide policy advice to
appropriate bodies on environment and sustainable
development issues of national interest;
-
To institutionalize a
mechanism that would ensure linkage with the
legislative, executive, local government units,
non-governmental organizations, business and other
concerned entities/ sectors, in the formulation of
policies and decision-making on sustainable
development concerns;
-
To act as the coordinating
mechanism with the United Nations Commission on
Sustainable Development (UNCSD), through the
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and actively
solicit assistance and cooperation towards the
realization of our commitment made the UNCED;
-
To review and monitor plans,
policies, programs and legislations on sustainable
development and recommend mechanisms / strategies
for promoting efficiency and timeliness of their
execution;
-
To establish a networking
mechanism to link with local and international
oreanizations involved in sustainable development;
-
To call on any and all
government agencies, resource persons and other
groups, as necessary, in the performance of its role
and fl] n c t i on s :
-
To catalyze the formation and
institutionalization of local councils for
sustainable development in close coordination with
local authorities;
-
To establish, reorganize or
abolish committees of the Council; and
-
To perform such other acts
which are necessary to carry out its mandated
functions and responsibilities.
SECTION 5. The Secretariat. The
Council shall be assisted by a Coordinating Secretariat
which shall be based at the NEDA, the composition of
which shall be determined by the Director-General, and a
Counterpart Secretariat, the composition of which shall
be determined by the People's/ Non-Government
Organization members of the Council.
SECTION 6. Budget. There shall be
provided in the General Appropriations Act a regular
line item under the NEDA budget to cover the operational
requirements of the Council subject to the prescribed
budgetary guidelines.
SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. All
Executive Orders which are inconsistent with the
provisions of this order are hereby repealed or amended
accordingly.
SECTION 8. Effectivity. This
Executive Order shall take effect immediately.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 26th day
of September in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred
and Ninety-Six.
By the President:
RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary
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