AMENDING CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF COMMONWEALTH ACT NO. 542, ENTITLED " AN ACT TO CREATE A CORPORATION TO BE KNOWN AS THE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE PHILIPPINES", AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 4375, TO DEFINE ITS POWERS AND PURPOSES.

• Number: Presidential Decree No. 720
• Sections: 3

Preamble

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. 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.

Section 6

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