MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 68 - RATIONALIZING THE COLLECTION OF FOREIGN INFORMATION BY THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, BUREAUS AND AGENCIES OF THE GOVERNMENT

1. This Memorandum Circular is issued to allow the Office of the President to evaluate, rationalize and make more cost efficient the collection and processing of basic and strategic information concerning foreign nations, international organizations and scientific, economic and technical data required for the formulation of national policies and programs.

2. In this connection, all Departments, Bureaus and Agencies of the Government, including those directly under the Office of the President, shall conduct an immediate accounting of all such activities undertaken by their respective offices, review the procedures, policies and cost-effectiveness of such activities and submit to the Office of the President through the National Intelligence Board their findings, comments and recommendations to make the effort more efficient.

3. The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, hereinafter referred to as the NICA, through the National Intelligence Board, shall be the focal point for the direction, coordination and integration of government activities involving national intelligence, and the preparation of intelligence estimates of local and foreign situations for the formulation of national policies by the President. The NICA shall recommend to the President an appropriate delineation of collection tasks and responsibilities in close collaboration with the Departments, Bureaus and Agencies concerned based on their respective primary missions and functions and consistent with their respective mandates.

4. The National Intelligence Board, consistent with the second sentence of Number 3 above, shall recommend the broad guidelines and procedures that will govern collection tasks and responsibilities to ensure elimination of costly duplication of effort, maximize the utilization of personnel assigned abroad and assure the efficient flow of processed information to the National Intelligence Board for integration of the information for the use of the Office of the President, the National Security Council and all other Departments, Bureaus and Agencies that may require the information for the purpose of policy formulation.

5. Consistent with the requirements of economy and efficiency, those Departments, Bureaus or Agencies whose functions and responsibilities require such foreign information but which at present have no capability or personnel to acquire such information may submit appropriate requests to acquire such information to the Office of the President through the National Intelligence Board. The National Intelligence Board shall determine whether or not the information can be obtained by some other Department, Bureau or Agency prior to recommending approval to the requesting Department, Bureau or Agency to engage in such a collection effort.

6. All Departments, Bureaus, and Agencies including the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency shall henceforth include such activities in their annual budget request. The number of personnel actually assigned abroad, their places of assignment and the annual cost of maintaining such a post broken down into pay and allowances and other operating expenses shall be clearly identified in their respective annual budget requests. The Department of Budget and Management shall, in close consultation with the Departments and Agencies concerned, make efforts to ensure that once approved the necessary funds are made available for the purpose.

Manila, July 22, 1988.

chanrobles virtual law library
  Back to Main

Since 19.07.98.