WHEREAS, Commonwealth Act Number Five Hundred Forty-Two,
dated May 26, 1940 was enacted to create the Girl Scouts of the
Philippines, a public non-secretarian and non-political corporation, and
to define its powers and purposes, and which Act was amended by
Republic Act Number Four Thousand Three Hundred Seventy-Five, dated June
19, 1965, to provide guidelines for its operations;
WHEREAS, new directions in socio-civic and community
development goals of the country call for changes that would maximize
the effectiveness of the structural pattern of the Girl Scout Movement
for optimum youth development thereby ensuring total involvement and
support of the community, both public and private;
WHEREAS, the Girl Scouts of the Philippines in its noble
task of preparing the girls for their responsibilities in line with
national and international Scouting standards inspires every generation
with the highest ideals for citizenship, character, conduct and
attainment;
WHEREAS, the unstinted cooperation and whole-hearted support
being extended by the government and the private sector amply attest to
the acceptance of the Scouting Movement by the youth and the community;
WHEREAS, the Girl Scouts, through their voluntary
involvement in civic and community development projects, undertaken
effectively with zeal and sincerity, have demonstrated that they are
capable partners in nation building, and can contribute effectively to
the welfare of our Society and the progress of our nation;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution,
in order to effect the desired changes and reforms in the social,
economic, and political structure of our society, do hereby decree and
order the amendments to Commonwealth Act No. 542, as amended by Republic
Act No. 4375, as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 1 of Republic Act No. 4375 is amended to
read as follows:
"SEC. 1. Concepcion R. Gonzales Trinidad, F. Legarda,
Emilia Q. Lim, Concepcion M. Gil, Marina Y. Vargas, Pilar Hidalgo Lim,
Josefa Elanes Escoda, Helena Z. Benitez, Maria Aurora Quezon, Lulu
Reyes, Lily de las Alas, Leni Alano, Erlinda Kalaw, Betty Magalona,
Lourdes Ledesma, Minerva G. Laudico, all of Manila, Philippines, their
associates and successors, are created a body corporate, by the name,
style, and title of "Girl Scouts of the Philippines" (hereinafter called
the corporation). They shall constitute the first Central Board and
shall serve until their successors and elected and have qualified.
The principal office of the corporation shall be in Metropolitan
Manila, Philippines."
SEC. II. Section 2 of the said Act shall also be
amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 2. The said corporation shall have
perpetual succession, with power to sue and be sued; to acquire,
hold, and convey such real and personal estate, rights and choses
in action as shall be necessary for corporate purposes, and to receive funds,
real and personal property by gift, devise bequest, or other means;
to adopt a seal; to have offices and conduct its business and affairs
in the Metropolitan Manila area and in the provinces, cities,
municipalities, and barangays of the Philippines; to make and adopt
by-laws, and generally do all acts and exercise all powers of a
corporation under Act 1459 as amended as may be necessary to carry into
effect the provisions of this Act and promote the purpose
of said corporation."
SEC. III. Section 3 of the said Act shall also be amended to
read as follows:
"SEC. 3. The purpose of this organization is to help
girls realize the ideals of womanhood and prepare themselves for
their responsibilities in the home, the nation, and the world
community. To carry out this purpose, the corporation shall be
the directing and coordinating head of the Girl Scout Movement in the
Philippines, and shall fix and maintain standards which will inspire
every generation with the highest ideals of citizenship, character,
conduct, attainment, and international understanding."
SEC. IV. Section 4 of the said Act shall be amended to read
as follows:
"SEC. 4. The Girl Scouts of the Philippines is non-stock,
non-profit, non-sectarian, non-political, independent, and
voluntary but it shall willingly cooperate with other entities,
public and private, whose ideals and procedures are in accord with
those conferred or authorized by this Act."
SEC. V. Section 5 of the said Act shall be amended to read
as follows:
"SEC. 5. The governing body of the corporation shall he
the Central Board composed of the following:
the First Lady of the Philippines who shall be the
Chief Girl Scout;
the Charter and the Life Members, in no case to exceed
sixteen (16) number;
an equal number of representatives from the private
sector,
the Regional chairpersons of the Girl Scout
Regions of the Philippines;
the representatives from the Government sector, namely
the following, or their equivalents;
The Secretary of Foreign Affairs
The Secretary of Finance
The Secretary of Education & Culture
The Secretary of Labor
The Secretary of National Defense
The Executive Secretary
The Secretary of Social Welfare
The Secretary of Local Government and Community
Development
The Secretary of Youth and Sports Development
the President of the Boy Scouts of the
Philippines
One Senior Girl Scout from each Girl Scout Region to
represent the girl membership;
three representatives from the cultural minorities.
Except for the Regional Chairpersons and the Senior Girl
Scout regional representatives who shall be elected by their
respective Regions, all the above-mentioned members of the
Central Board shall be by appointment or by cooption, subject to
ratification by the Chief Girl Scout and confirmation by the President
of the Philippines.
The Central Board shall have the power to make and to amend the
Constitution and by-laws, create Standing and Special Committees, and
provide such policies and procedures as may be necessary to carry on the
business of the corporation.
The by-laws may prescribe
the number of members of the Central Board necessary to constitute a
quorum of the Board, which number may be less than a majority of the
whole number of the Board.
The Central Board shall meet
regularly at least twice a year at a time and place to be designated in
the by-laws.
The Chief Girl Scout shall be the Head of
the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. The Central Board shall elect from,
among themselves the other officers of the corporation, to wit, the
National President, the First Vice-President, the Second Vice President,
the National Secretary, the Asst. National Secretary, the National
Treasurer, and the Asst. National Treasurer.
SEC. 6. There shall be an Executive Committee composed
of all the officers and chairpersons of Standing Committees which shall
be responsible for implementing the policies and decisions of the
National Council and the Central Board.
SEC. VI. Section 6 shall also be amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 7. There shall be a National Council which shall
serve as a forum for guidelines, directions and evaluation of the Girl
Scout Movement. It shall be composed of the members of the Central Board
and the President of the Girl Scout Councils or their duly designated
representatives, and such number of elected delegates from each Council
as may be prescribed in the by-laws.
SEC. VII. The same Act is further amended by adding the
following section immediately after Section 12:
"SEC. 13. Until such time as the reorganization and
restructuring of the Central Board in accordance with Section 5 as
amended herein is effected, an Ad Interim body is hereby appointed with
the Honorable Carlos P. Romulo as Interim Chairman and is hereby
authorized to designate the members of the Committees for restructuring
and reorganization. In the meantime, the present administrative set-up
shall be maintained to conduct the affairs of the Girl Scouts of the
Philippines and to take the necessary steps to effect the reorganization
within six (6) months from date of this decree."
SEC. VIII. Section 12 of the said Act is amended to read as
follows:
"SEC. 14. This Act shall take effect immediately.
SEC. IX. This Decree shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila, this 2nd day of June, in the year
of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-five.
(Sgd.)
FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines
By the President:
(Sgd.)
ALEJANDRO MELCHOR
Executive Secretary
