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PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 187
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 187
- PRESCRIBING THE USE OF THE METRIC SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AS
THE STANDARD MEASUREMENT FOR ALL PRODUCTS, COMMODITIES, MATERIALS,
UTILITIES AND SERVICES AND IN ALL BUSINESS AND LEGAL TRANSACTIONS
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WHEREAS,
the concurrent usage of different standards of weights and measures in
the Philippines abets confusion, waste of time in computations and
diversity; chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, although the Revised Administrative Code specifies the metric
system as the national standard, the use of other weights and measures
is allowed by law in certain cases, compounded by customary weights and
measures; chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, the metric system, which employs decimals, is officially
adopted by many countries and even the United Kingdom and the United
States are planning to gradually adopt it in lieu of the English
system;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, the exclusive use of the metric system will facilitate
domestic and foreign trade, avoid unnecessary waste and diversity in
manufacturing goods, promote uniformity and simplification of
measurements and consistency in calculations, and afford other
advantages;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, several bills to adopt the metric system exclusively were
filed in Congress but they failed to be enacted;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines,
by virtue of the powers in me vested 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. 1 dated September 22, 1972, as amended, in order to effect
the desired changes and reforms in the social, economic and political
structure of our society, do hereby order and decree: chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Section 1. Official use of metric system. — The
system of weights and measures to be used in the Philippines for all
products, commodities, materials, utilities, services and commercial
transactions in all contracts, deeds and other legal instruments
publicly and officially attested; and in all official documents shall
be the metric system, in accordance with the provisions of this decree
and its implementing rules and regulations.
Section 2. Creation of Metric System Board. — In
order to effect the orderly change from the English and other systems
of weights and measures to the metric system, a Metric System Board,
hereinafter referred to as Board, is hereby created, which shall be
composed of the Secretary of Trade and Tourism as Chairman, and the
Secretary of Finance, the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural
Resources, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Justice and the
Chairman of the National Science Development Board as members. The
Department undersecretaries and the board vice-chairman concerned shall
serve as alternates.
Section 3. Powers and Functions. — The powers and
functions of the Board shall be as follows:cralaw:red
a. Cause the conversion of all weights and measures
to their equivalents in the metric system subject to the approval of
the President of the Philippines; chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
b. Draw up a program, after consultation with the
private sector and subject to the approval of the President of the
Philippines, for the nationwide use of the metric system, including the
respective starting dates, in the different agricultural, commercial,
industrial, utilities, scientific, services and other sectors:
Provided, That the metric system shall be fully adopted in all sectors
throughout the Philippines by January first, nineteen hundred and
seventy- five. The Board shall consider the need to provide adequate
time for the modification of existing devices or acquiring new devices
in conformity with the standard weights and measures in the metric
system and the need to disseminate widely the official equivalents in
the metric system of other weights and measures, the starting dates of
their use in the various sectors and the other implementing rules and
regulations;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
c. Promulgate rules and regulations for the
implementation hereof, and, after approval thereof by the President of
the Philippines, widely disseminate the same to all government offices
and instrumentalities and the general public, including publication
once for three consecutive weeks in at least three newspapers of
general circulation in the Philippines;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
d. Appoint such personnel as may be necessary,
preference to be given to qualified persons who were laid-off from the
government as a result of the government reorganization; and chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
e. Create advisory and technical committees from the
public and private sectors and call upon any government office agency
or instrumentality and upon any government official or employee for
assistance in the effective performance of its functions.
Section 4. Secretariat. — The Director of the Bureau
of Standards shall serve as Executive Secretary of the Board. Initially
and until such time as funds become available, the personnel of the
Board may be detailed from other government offices and
instrumentalities. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Section 5. Appropriation. — The sum of Fifty thousand
pesos (P50,000.00) is hereby appropriated out of any funds in the
National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the expenses of the
Board for fiscal year nineteen hundred and seventy-four. The same
amount shall be included in the national budget for fiscal year
nineteen hundred and seventy-five.
Section 6. Penalties. — Any violation of the
provisions hereof, or the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant
hereto, shall, upon conviction, subject the offender to a fine of not
more than one thousand pesos or imprisonment for a term of not more
than one year, or both, upon the discretion of the Court. If the
violation was committed by a juridical person, the manager,
representative, director, agent or employee of said juridical person
responsible for the act shall also be liable to the penalties provided
herein. If the offender is an alien, he shall be deported after serving
the sentence, without need for further proceedings for deportation.
Section 7. Effectivity. — This decree shall take
effect upon its approval but persons or entities allowed under existing
laws to use the English system or other standards of weights and
measures are given until the dates fixed for them to use the metric
system pursuant hereto. The Board shall cease to exist by June thirty,
nineteen hundred and seventy-five.
Section 8. Repealing clause. — The provisions of the
Revised Administrative Code and of all other laws and rules and
regulations inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or amended
accordingly. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Done in the City of Manila,
this 10th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and
seventy-three.
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