WHEREAS, the State is mandated by the Constitution to afford full protection and assistance to overseas Filipinos;

WHEREAS, the assistance overseas Filipinos is considered as a pillar of the government foreign policy;

WHEREAS, the current developments in Sabah make it imperative to organize an integrated and systematic welfare and assistance program to extend the necessary help to affected overseas Filipinos;

WHEREAS, the assistance includes the training and other related interventions, among others, to enhance the readiness of these affected overseas Filipinos for reemployment as well as facilitate their reintegration into our socio-economic community.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Lead Agency. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) shall be the lead agency in providing integrated assistance to Filipino repatriates from Sabah.

SECTION 2. The DOLE shall coordinate the integrated assistance by seeking technical, financial and administrative support from the following agencies: Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of National Defense, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Bureau of Immigration (BI), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine National Police (PNP), Office of Muslim Affairs (OMA), National Statistic Office (NSO), Office of the Governor of Tawi-Tawi, Office of the Governor of Sulu, and Office of the City Mayor of Zamboanga City.

SECTION 3. Integrated Assistance. The DOLE, by itself or through the agencies mentioned in Section hereof, shall:

1. Ensure an integrated and well-coordinated assistance and services to the returning Filipinos from Sabah and network will all agencies, both national and local, in order to assure the welfare and well-being of said repatriates;
2. Ensure maximum humanitarian facilities and social support services to include the reception, classification, alternative livelihood, temporary shelter, as well as the efficient transport of returning Filipino citizens from Sabah to their respective places of origin;
3. Provide adequate health services to returning Filipinos as may be deemed necessary upon their arrival in the Philippines;
4. Facilitate the necessary documentation of qualified Filipinos who may opt to return to Sabah provided they comply with all immigration laws and regulations of Malaysia;
5. Make available to the returning Filipinos such security arrangements as may be necessary to protect their safety and health while in transit and upon their arrival in the Philippines:
6. Augment whatever available processing centers already in place in Southern Philippines and put up more centers as the government resources may afford in order to assure a smooth reception of the arriving Filipinos;
7. Perform such other acts as the DOLE may consider necessary for the effective implementation of this Administrative Order;
8. Submit to the Office of the President a complete report on the implementation of this Administrative Order.

Sec. 4. Funding. The Department of Budget and Management is hereby directed to release to the DOLE, the initial amount of TWO MILLION PESOS (Php 2,000,000.00) to be taken from the savings of all the participating agencies, in order to provide resources for the smooth implementation of this Administrative Order.

Sec. 5. Assistance. The DOLE is hereby authorized to call upon all other agencies whose assistance and support may be deemed necessary to the effective performance of all these functions, and said agencies are hereby directed to extend full cooperation thereto.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 14^th day of March in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand Five.

(Sgd.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL – ARROYO

By the President: