MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
[ MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 82, April 15, 2025 ]
FURTHER PRESCRIBING THE GUIDELINES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 313 (S. 1987)
WHEREAS, Executive Order (EO) No. 313 prohibits officials of the Philippine government to visit Taiwan and to receive Taiwanese officials visiting the Philippines;
WHEREAS, EO No. 313 also provides that no official activity relating to Taiwan shall be carried out without the clearance of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA);
WHEREAS, Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 148 (s. 1992) implements EO No. 313 by providing Guidelines governing restrictions on travel to Taiwan and contact with representatives of Taiwan by Philippine government officials, among others;
WHEREAS, MC No. 148 further provides that Philippine government officials visiting Taiwan shall provide the DFA with a report on their travel and that no agreements, memoranda of understanding, exchange of notes or similar documents shall be concluded with any Taiwanese organization or agency without clearance from the DFA and an authority to sign from the Office of the President (OP); and
WHEREAS, EO No. 15 (s.2001) authorizes the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, Inc. (MECO), a non-stock and non-profit corporation created under Batas Pambansa Blg. 68 or the "Corporation Code of the Philippines," as amended, to assist the Philippine Government in, among others: (a) formulating and implementing programs that aim to attract and promote investments from Taiwan to Philippine industries and businesses; and (b) facilitating and fostering exchanges between Philippine and Taiwan especially in the field of trade and economic cooperation, tourism, culture, education, and science and technology;
NOW, THEREFORE, to further maximize opportunities for the development and expansion of the Philippines' priority areas of investments, the following are hereby ordered:
1. Restrictions on travel to Taiwan and contact with representatives of Taiwan shall strictly apply to the President, Vice President, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and Secretary of National Defense, Philippine government officials intending to visit Taiwan for economic, trade and investment purposes, shall travel using their ordinary passports and without using their official times. Further, they are required to: (a) inform MECO of the purpose of their visit prior to their departure; and (b) coordinate with MECO during their visit.
2. Philippine government officials travelling to Taiwan for economic, trade and investment purposes shall submit to MECO and DFA a report on their travel.ℒαwρhi৷
3. Philippine government officials and/or agencies, through MECO, may receive delegations from Taiwan for economic, trade and investment purposes. In this regard, Philippine government officials and/or agencies shall inform MECO at least five (5) days prior to the visit and shall submit a report to MECO and DFA regarding such a visit.
4. No. agreements, memoranda of understanding, exchange of notes or similar documents shall be concluded with any Taiwanese organization or agency without clearance from the DFA and, as may be necessary, an authority to sign from OP.
This Circular shall take effect immediately.
DONE, in the City of Manila, this, 14th day of April, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-Five.
By order of the President:
(Sgd.) LUCAS P. BERSAMIN
Executive Secretary
The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation
