Malacañan on Wednesday issued Proclamation No. 282 and Administrative Order (AO) No. 4, signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on July 31 and August 7, 2017, respectively.
Proclamation No. 282 declared August of every year as ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Month, in a bid to further promote and heighten public awareness of ASEAN. It amended the previous Proclamation (No. 1008, series of 1997), proclaiming August 7 to 13 of every year as “ASEAN Week”.
“All government agencies, especially the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Education, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, and Commission on Higher Education, are enjoined to initiate and implement programs and activities to help generate awareness and public support in promoting the observance of ASEAN Month in the various offices, schools, universities, local government units, and business establishments,” the Proclamation stated.
The Philippines, as a founding member, has been actively involved in the ASEAN. The country’s Chairmanship of the ASEAN this year coincided with the regional bloc’s 50th anniversary, which was celebrated in Manila on August 8.
Meanwhile, Administrative Order No. 4 paved the way for the establishment of an Inter-Agency Committee on Government Property Insurance, chaired by the Department of Finance (DOF) and co-chaired by the Office of the Executive Secretary, together with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Insurance Commission, and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) as members.
The Committee on Government Property Insurance will formulate rules and regulations to ensure that key properties, assets, and other insurable interests of the government are insured comprehensively and adequately.
Other functions of the Committee include developing monitoring and reporting mechanisms, assessing the management of General Insurance Fund (GIF), evaluating the existing inventory of all actively insured public properties and assets, determining high-risk key government properties and assets, and recommending appropriate legislative measures or executive issuances.
“The Inter-Agency Committee shall submit a terminal report to the President within one (1) year after the Committee has been convened. The Inter-Agency Committee shall cease to exist after it has submitted its terminal report to the President,” the AO said.
Upon its dissolution, the DOF will continue to undertake the Committee’s activities of ensuring government properties, insurance and inventory, as well as the implementation of monitoring and reporting processes. (PCO-Content)
