WHEREAS,
the Republic of the Philippines, on January 16, 1868, become a
signatory to the Agreement establishing the Southeast Asian Fisheries
Development Center (SEAFDEC); chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, the SEAFDEC Council, at its Sixth Meeting held at Kuala Lumpur
(Malaysia) on July 3-7, 1973, approved the formal establishment of its
Aquaculture Department in the Province of Iloilo, Philippines;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, the SEAFDEC Council of Directors, being aware of the vast
potential of Southeast Asia and other regions for aquaculture
development, and cognizant of the urgent need of the region and other
parts of the world for highly trained manpower for aquaculture
development, approved at its Tenth Meeting held in Manila on December
5-10, 1977, the development and implementation of the proposed Asia
Institute of Aquaculture as a unit of the SEAFDEC Aquaculture
Department of Iloilo, Philippines;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, the establishment of the Asian Institute of Aquaculture will
provide mechanism for the development of technical and scientific
manpower in aquaculture in Asia, particularly in SEAFDEC and ASEAN
member-countries, to hasten the development of the aquaculture
resources of the region.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines,
by virtue of the power vested in me by the Constitutions, do hereby
order and decree:cralaw:red
Section 1. The Asian Institute of Aquaculture shall
be classified as a foreign institution of special character, with an
inter-national student body, faculty, management composition and
control. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Section 2. The provisions of existing laws, decrees
or ordinances to the contrary notwithstanding, the Asian Institute of
Aquaculture shall be exempt from the payment of gift, franchise,
specific, percentage, real property and all other taxes, duties and
fees provided under existing laws, decrees or ordinances. This
exemption shall extend to goods imported and owned by the said Asian
Institute of Aquaculture and to goods brought in or imported for the
personal use of foreign faculty, scientific research and professional
staff and other officials of the said Institute; Provided, however,
that this exemption is without prejudice to the collection of customs
duties and taxes on goods or articles brought or imported into the
Philippines for the use of such foreign personnel should such goods or
articles subsequently be sold, transferred or exchanged in the
Philippines to persons or entities not entitled to exemption from the
said customs duties and taxes pursuant to existing laws and regulations
governing the matter.
Section 3. All gifts, bequests, donations and
contributions which may be received by the Asian Institute of
Aquaculture from any sources whatsoever shall be exempt from the
payment of taxes imposed under the National Internal Revenue Code and
all other existing laws, decrees and ordinances and all such gifts,
bequests, donations and contributions shall be considered as allowable
deductions for purposes of determining the income tax payable by the
donor. All funds received by the Asian Institute of Aquaculture shall
be receipted and disbursed in accordance with the Agreement
establishing the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center and
pertinent resolutions duly approved by the SEAFDEC Council. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Section 4. Non-Filipino citizens serving on the
faculty and professional staff of the Asian Institute of Aquaculture
shall be exempted from the payment of income tax on salaries and
stipends received from the said Institute and other donor
organizations.
Section 5. Aliens who enter the Philippines to
perform their work or study at the Asian Institute of Aquaculture shall
be exempt from restrictions imposed on immigration and other pertinent
laws with respect to quota of immigrants and duration of stay in the
Philippines, as may be necessary for the operation of the said
Institute so long as they fall under the following status: (1)
officials; (2) instructors and researchers; (3) trainees; (4) spouses;
children or relatives who are dependent on end forming part of the
household of, those in (1) and (2). chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Section 6. To carry out this project, there is hereby
appropriated the sum of Ten Million (P10M) Pesos out of any funds in
the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated as contribution of the
Republic of the Philippines, as host Government, to the Asian Institute
of Aquaculture for its capital outlay requirements and local operating
costs for CY 1978; thereafter, an annual contribution of Five Million
(P5M) Pesos for the said Institute is hereby appropriated for a period
of five years beginning CY 1979.
Section 7. This Decree shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila,
this 11th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and
seventy-eight.
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