EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 938 - ESTABLISHING THE OVERSEAS OFFICES OF THE COMMISSION ON FILIPINOS OVERSEAS PURSUANT TO Sec. 4 OF BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 79

WHEREAS, it is a declared policy of the Philippine Government to maintain close ties with Filipinos overseas and to promote their welfare;

WHEREAS, Batas Pambansa Blg. 79 created the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) to render effective the policy of the state;

WHEREAS, the CFO is the only agency that serves Filipino emigrants as a distinct group;

WHEREAS, in order to augment the efforts of the foreign service abroad and to effectively and efficiently deliver its tasks as mandated by law, there is a need for visibility and accessibility of the Commission to its target clientele; 

WHEREAS, Sec. 4 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 79 authorizes the Commission to establish offices in suitable places abroad, or to appoint service attaches in the Philippine Embassy or Consulate located thereat subject to the approval of the President;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and by Presidential Decree No. 830 and Presidential Decree No. 1416, as amended, do hereby order and ordain:

Section 1. The establishment of twelve (12) overseas offices of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) is hereby approved in the following key areas in the United States, Canada and Australia in view of the concentration of Filipino communities thereat: 

POST AREA COVERAGE

A. USA
Honolulu   Hawaii
Los Angeles  Southern California
San Francisco North California including
Phoenix City

Chicago Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio,
Michigan

New York City New York, New Jersey
Pennsylvania,
Massachusetts

New Orleans Louisiana, Georgia,
Arkansas, Texas,
   Tennessee, Florida

Washington D.C. Virginia, Maryland

B. CANADA
Ottawa Montreal, Quebec,
  Newfoundland

Vancouver Alberta, British, Columbia

Toronto Ontario, Winnipeg,
   Manitoba, Saskatchewan

C. AUSTRALIA
Sydney N.S.W., Brisbane,
   Queensland

Canberra Melbourne, Victoria,
Tasmana, Adelaide

Sec. 2. Each post located in the capital city, namely: Washington D.C., U.S.A., Ottawa, Canada and Canberra, Australia, shall be manned by an Emigrant Service Attaché. An Emigrant Service Staff shall be assigned to the other 9 posts and Washington D.C. 

Sec. 3. The proposed posts shall be housed at the embassy or consular office in the aforementioned areas in the interest of close coordination with the representatives of other government agencies abroad. 

Sec. 4. All laws, orders, proclamations, rules, regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with any other provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Sec. 5. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon its approval.

Done in the City of Manila, this 2nd day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-four.