Section 4 of Presidential Decree No
Section 1. Section 4 of Presidential Decree No. 232, as amended by Presidential Decree No. 271, is hereby amended and changed to read as follows:
"Sec. 4. Governing Board. The corporate powers and duties of the Authority shall be vested in, and exercised by a Board, to be composed of seven members, to wit: The Chairman, who shall act as the Chairman of the Board, and the President, both of the Philippine National Bank, who shall be ex-officio members, and the remaining five members, to be appointed by the President, from the recommendations of the following:
a) Three members recommended by the Philippine Coconut Producers Federation;
b) One member recommended by the United Coconut Associations of the Philippines; and
c) One member recommended by the owner and operator of the hybrid coconut seednut farm authorized to be established under Section 3-B hereof.
"A representative of foreign organizations, associations or entities, or a foreign expert, of reorganized competence and experience in the development and production of hybrid coconut palm trees shall act as an adviser and participate in the deliberations of the Board: Provided, That said adviser shall not be entitled to vote on any matter taken by the Board.
"The Board shall elect from among their members a Vice-Chairman who shall assume the functions of the Chairman, whenever the latter is absent or incapacitated.
"The Board shall meet at least once a month and the members shall each receive, for each meeting actually attended, a per diem of two hundred pesos: Provided, That such per diems shall not exceed one thousand pesos during any month for each member.
"The Board shall have the following additional powers and duties:
a) To direct and manage the affairs of the Authority;
b) To prepare and adopt an annual budget which, notwithstanding any law or regulation to the contrary, shall not be subject to approval by the Budget Commission; and
c) To establish the internal organization of the Authority and fix the salaries and other compensation of its officers and employees;"