MALACAŅANG
M a n i l a
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 720 June 2, 1975
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
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 wholehearted 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 I. 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 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."
Section 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."
Section 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."
Section IV. Section 4 of the said Act shall be amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 4. The Girl Scout 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."
Section V. Section 5 of the said Act shall be amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 5. The governing body of the corporation shall be the Central Board composed of the following:
(a) the First Lady of the Philippines who shall be the Chief Girl Scout;
(b) the Charter and the Life Members, in no case to exceed sixteen (16) number;
(c) an equal number of representatives from the private sector;
(d) the Regional chairpersons of the Girl Scout Regions of the Philippines;
(e) the representatives from the Government sector, namely the following, or their equivalents:
1. The Secretary of Foreign Affairs
2. The Secretary of Finance
3. The Secretary of Education & Culture
4. The Secretary of Labor
5. The Secretary of National Defense
6. The Executive Secretary
7. The Secretary of Social Welfare
8. The Secretary of Local Government and Community Development
9. The Secretary of Youth and Sports Development
(f) the President of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines
(g) One Senior Girl Scout from each Girl Scout Region to represent the girl membership;
(h) 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. 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.
Section 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 and may be prescribed in the by-laws.
Section 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 affected, 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 the date of this decree."
Section VIII. Section 12 of the said Act is amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 14. This Act shall take effect immediately."
Section 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.
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