CREATING THE PHILIPPINE CENTER IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA AND THE PHILIPPINE CENTER MANAGEMENT BOARD.

• Number: Presidential Decree No. 258
• Sections: 10

Preamble

WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to consolidate, integrate

and coordinate all the activities in the San Francisco area of all Philippine

Government offices and agencies which have hitherto been dispersed and separate

from each other, a situation entailing unnecessary expense and duplication of

functions; and

WHEREAS, consistent with the human and material resources of

the Philippines, it is the objective of the New Society, among other things, to

nurture, promote and propagate Philippine culture, to encourage foreign tourists

to visit the Philippines, to expand the foreign market for Philippine products,

to provide efficient and comprehensive public service in the country and abroad,

and in general to enhance the image of the Philippines;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the

Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution as

Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to

Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. l, dated

September 22, 1972, as amended, do hereby decree and order as follows:

Section 1

SECTION 1. There shall be incorporated in San Francisco City

a Philippine Center Management Board, hereinafter called "the Board," which

shall, on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines, acquire by purchase or by

any other appropriate means a building in San Francisco City, California,

U.S.A., which shall house within its premises all the offices and agencies in

San Francisco of the Philippine Government. Such building shall be called "The

Philippine Center in San Francisco," hereinafter called "the Center," and shall

serve the purposes stated in the second paragraph of the preamble.

Section 2

SEC. 2. The Board shall have the following composition and

functions:

Composition. —

1. Chairman — The Philippine Consul General in San Francisco

2.

Vice Chairman — The head of the Philippine National Bank, San Francisco

Agency, who shall also be Treasurer of the Board.

Members:

3. The Philippine Commercial or Trade Promotion Representative in San

Francisco.

4. The head of the Philippine Air Lines in San Francisco.

5.

The Representative in San Francisco of the Department of Tourism.

6. The

Representative in San Francisco of the Auditor General.

7. The Philippine

Center Business Manager who shall also be Secretary of the Board.

Functions. —

The Board shall be responsible to the President of the Philippines for the

overall operation, maintenance and management of the Center in accordance with

this Decree and with sound business practices.

The Board shall meet at least once a year to prepare and submit to the

President of the Philippines, not later than the 31st day of December of each

year, its annual report on the operations, financial position and achievements

of the Center.

The Board shall, in accordance with its procedures, decide and implement

policies dealing with the operations of the Center. It may incur relevant

expenditures not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00). All expenditures

in excess of $10,000.00 shall have the prior approval of the President of the

Philippines.

The Board shall recommend to the President of the Philippines, for his

approval, the hiring of the services of a professional firm in San Francisco

specializing in building maintenance and janitorial services.

The Board shall approve lease contracts for the rentals stipulated in

Section 3

SEC. 3. The funds for the purchase, renovation, maintenance

and administration of the Center shall be advanced by the Philippine National

Bank from its own resources or from such other financing arrangements as the

Board of Directors may approve. Such advance(s) shall be called "the Center

Fund."

Section 4

SEC. 4. All real property in San Francisco owned by the

Philippine Government shall be sold by the Philippine Consul General in San

Francisco with the assistance of the head of the Philippine National Bank Agency

in San Francisco and the representative of the Auditor General at the most

advantageous prices, and all the proceeds thereof shall be transferred to and

become part of the Center Fund.

Section 5

Section 5. All lease contracts shall be signed by the Chairman of the Board. All

lease payments shall be payable to the "Philippine Center Management Board" and

such payments shall be promptly deposited in the bank for credit to the fund

provided in Section 3.

The Board shall adopt the most practical and effective arrangements for the

security of personnel and the premises.

The Board shall have such other functions consistent with the objectives of

this Decree.

Section 6

SEC. 6. The Board shall appoint a Philippine Center Business

Manager, hereinafter called "the Manager," who shall be responsible to the Board

for the effective and prompt implementation of its policies and decisions.

The following emoluments shall be paid by the Manager of the Board from the

Center Fund:

Salary — The Manager shall have an annual salary of twelve thousand

dollars ($12,000.00), with increments proportionate to any increase in rental

rates.

Benefits -

a. Health and hospitalization insurance equivalent to coverage of the

employees of the Philippine National Bank, San Francisco Agency.

b. Social

Security under U.S. law.

Functions. —

1. The Manager shall also be Secretary of the Board and prepare the agenda

for the minutes of Board meetings.

2. He shall be the Board's direct liaison

with the San Francisco firm stipulated in Section 2 B(4).

3. He shall be

responsible for the safety, cleanliness and orderly operation of the

building.

Section 7

SEC. 7. The Center shall have a storage area for Philippine

products, cultural materials props and miscellaneous equipment; a display center

for Philippine products and cultural materials; an auditorium/theater/community

room; a library room; a penthouse for socials of the Consulate and for rental to

the Philippine community; and such other areas as may be necessary or

proper.

Section 8

SEC. 8. The President of the Philippines may appoint a

Filipino architectural consultant for the Center. Such consultant shall advise

the Board and American architects and/or building contractors on the exterior

and interior renovation work that must be undertaken in order that the Center

may project an image which is representative of the best in Philippine life and

culture.

Done in the City of Manila, this 31st day of July, in the year of Our Lord,

nineteen hundred and seventy-three.

(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS

President

Republic of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) ROBERTO V. REYES

Assistant Executive Secretary

Section 5

SEC. 5. All the Philippine Government offices or agencies

and private firms using the Center, except the Philippine Consulate General and

service representatives attached to the Consulate General, shall pay rent to the

Philippine Center Management Board, the rate of which rent shall be based

primarily on the prevailing monthly or annual rate per square foot in other

buildings with comparable facilities within a two-block radius of the

Center.