AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO CHARGE ALL OPERATIONAL EXPENSES OF ITS MACHINE READABLE PASSPORTS AND VISAS PROJECT AGAINST THE COLLECTIONS FROM THE ISSUANCE OF…

WHEREAS, the Department of Foreign Affairs (Department) has launched
the Machine Readable Passports and Visas Project (Project) to upgrade
the processing and issuance of Philippine passports and visas in
accordance with standards set by the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) for travel documents;

WHEREAS, the Project is proposed under the Build-Operate-Transfer scheme;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Republic Act No. 7718, also known as the
Build-Operate-Transfer Law, the Department created a Pre-qualification,
Bids and Awards Committee (PBAC) to oversee the planning and
implementation of the Project;

WHEREAS, thirty-nine (39) project proponents responded to the
invitation to pre-qualify and bid and paid Php 100,000.00 each for the
pre-qualification documents;

WHEREAS, the PBAC has started issuing, for a non-refundable fee of
Php 100,000.00, the Request-for-Proposals ( RFPs) or bid documents to
the 11 project proponents that pre-qualified;

WHEREAS, the PBAC continues to meet to discuss preparations for the
pre-bid conference, the mechanics for the technical and financial
evaluation of the bid proposals early next year, and other
administrative matters related to the Project;

WHEREAS, most, if not all, PBAC activities entail financial cost
which the regular budget of the Department could not accommodate given
its other priorities;

WHEREAS, to ensure maximum efficiency of the PBAC in the planning and
implementation of the Project, it is imperative that it be given
adequate financial support.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, President of the Republic
of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do
hereby order:

1. Subject to pertinent budgetary laws and circulars, the
Pre-Qualification, Bids and Awards Committee for the Machine Readable
Passports and Visas Project (PBAC-MRP/V) of the Department of Foreign
Affairs is hereby authorized to charge all its operational expenses
against the collections from the issuance of the pre-qualification
documents and Request-for-Proposals. The PBAC-MRP/V is hereby further
authorized to pay out of the said collections, the honoraria of its
voting and non-voting members, the members of its Technical and
Financial Working Groups and Secretariat, and of local consultants whose
services PBAC-MRP/V may engage in the technical and financial
evaluation of the bid proposals.

2. The PBAC-MRP/V shall deposit the above-mentioned collections in a
special account under account name “PBAC-MRP/V” at the nearest branch
of a reputable and licensed Philippine bank.

3. The Chairman of the PBAC-MRP/V and another officer or employee of
the Department of Foreign Affairs, designated as a special disbursing
officer, shall serve as co-signatories of the said special account.

4. All disbursements from the special account shall be subject to existing accounting and auditing laws and procedures.

5. Upon completion of the Project, all amounts remaining in the said
special account shall revert back to, and be deposited with, the
National Treasury.

6. All Executive Orders, Administrative Orders, rules and
regulations inconsistent with this Order are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

7. This Executive Order shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
circulation.

Adopted: 16 Dec. 1999

By the President:

(SGD.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA
            Executive Secretary