Youth Entrepreneurship and Cooperatives Program

The Order establishes the Youth Entrepreneurship and Cooperatives in Schools (YECS) Program as launched in April 1997.
The Order links the YECS Program to providing students profound options amid difficulty in pursuing higher education or obtaining decent jobs.
The Order states that entrepreneurship and cooperatives foundation at the secondary level enables youth to become creative and productive citizens who establish livelihood sources and support tertiary education.
The Order aligns expansion with the pro-poor agenda of President Joseph Ejercito Estrada.
The Order expresses that DECS and partner agencies must initiate expansion and training tied to implementation.

DECS Regional Offices must expand the coverage of the YECS Program to include at least one (1) secondary school per division every year.
Regional Offices must implement YECS in accordance with the Revised YECS Concept Paper and the Implementing Rules and Regulations contained in Inclosures A and B, respectively.
All Regional Offices are required to submit a Five-Year Expansion Plan (1999–2004) following specifications set by the YECS Technical Working Group contained in Inclosure C.
Designated YECS Regional Coordinators must coordinate closely with partner agencies and initiate implementation down to the school level.
Designated YECS School-Based Moderators and Alternates, and other personnel covered under the expansion plan, must undergo the required training for program guidance.

The YECS Program is launched by DECS through the Center for Students and Co-Curricular Affairs (CSCA) in coordination with the Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE) and the then Office of Youth Sector Representative Anna Marie Periquet.
The Order identifies partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Cooperatives Development Authority (CDA), and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).
Partner agencies are expected to provide technical and other forms of assistance to support program implementation.

The Order requires an intensive training on cooperativism and entrepreneurship for YECS implementors.
The training is mandatory for designated YECS School-Based Moderators and Alternates and other under the expansion plan personnel.
The training obligation is imposed to ensure implementors can adequately guide the YECS Program implementation.

Training expenses are chargeable against the Regional/Division Office concerned and local funds.
Training expenses are also chargeable against the School Board fund.
Training expenses are supported by funds allocated for student and co-curricular activities in the Office of the Secretary under Special Provisions of the DECS budget in the General Appropriations Act.
Training funding is subject to availability and the usual accounting rules and regulations.

The Order directs immediate and wide dissemination of the Order to ensure uptake and compliance.
The Order is adopted on 07 Oct. 1999 by the DECS Secretary.
Implementation is organized through DECS regional structures and YECS designated coordinators, moderators, and alternates aligned with the expansion plan requirements.