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PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 487
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 487
- AUTHORIZING THE CREATION OF PHILIPPINE CENTERS ABROAD
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WHEREAS,
there is an urgent need to consolidate, integrate and coordinate
all the activities of all Philippine Government offices and
agencies abroad, which have hitherto been dispersed and separated
from each other, a situation entailing unnecessary expense and
duplication of functions;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
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;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
NOW, THEREFORE I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the
Constitution, do hereby decree and order as follows: chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Section 1. In certain strategically located places
approved by the President upon the recommendation of the
Secretary of Trade, there shall be incorporated a Philippine
Center Management Board, hereinafter called "the Board," which
shall, in behalf of the Republic of the Philippines, acquire by
purchase or by any other appropriate means a building, which
shall house within its premises all the offices and agencies of
the Philippine Government. Such building shall be called "the
Philippine Center," hereinafter called "the Center," and shall
serve the purposes stated in the second paragraph of the
preamble.
Section 2. The Board shall have the following
composition and functions:cralaw:red
A. Composition —
1. Chairman — The Chief of Mission
2. Vice-Chairman — The Head of the Philippine
National Bank Branch Office, or in case there is no such branch
office the Philippine Commercial Attache or Trade Promotion
Representative.
Members:
3. The Philippine Commercial Attache or Trade
Promotion Representative when not acting as Vice-Chairman.
4. The Representative of the Department of Tourism.
5. The Philippine Center Business Manager, who
shall also be the Secretary of the Board.
6. One representative each from other offices
and agencies of the Philippine Government in the
area. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
B. Functions —
1. 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.
2. The Board shall meet at least once a year to
prepare and submit to the President of the Philippines through
the Secretary of Trade its annual report on the operations,
financial position and achievements of the Center not later than
the 31st of December of each year.
3. The Board shall, in accordance with its
procedures, decide and implement policies dealing with the
construction, renovation, maintenance and operations of the
Center. Its decisions shall be arrived at by a simple majority of
the entire composition of the Board.
4. The Board shall approve lease contracts for the
rentals stipulated in 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.
5. The Board shall adopt the most practical and
effective arrangements for the security of personnel and the
premises.
6. The Board shall have such other functions
consistent with the objectives of this Decree. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Section 3. The funds for the purchase and
renovation of the Center shall be obtained through borrowings
that the Philippine National Bank is hereby authorized to secure
as agent for and in behalf of the Philippine Center
Management Board. Should such borrowings be inadequate to cover
the cost of purchase and renovation, the Philippine National Bank
may advance the necessary amount from its own resources in
the event of urgent need. For borrowings contracted by the
said bank, it shall be entitled to collect commission and service
fees. For advances made from its own resources, the said bank
shall be entitled to collect interest charges at the rate imposed
by its present lending policy for loans or advances of the
same category.
There is thereby appropriated annually out of any fund in the
National Treasury not otherwise appropriated the sum of twenty
million pesos to repay the advances or borrowing authorized in
the preceding paragraph, including interests, premiums,
commission, service fees and other charges thereon. Additional
appropriations shall be authorized as the need arises.
The funds for the maintenance and operation of the Center shall,
as far as practicable, be taken from the income accruing to the
Center Fund: Provided, however, that advances borrowings for this
purpose may be obtained by the Board.
The Board shall have the power and authority to borrow money from
the Philippine National Bank or from other creditors under
financing arrangements that may be made with the assistance of
the said bank, and to mortgage, or assign, or otherwise encumber
its properties as security for such borrowings. The borrowings
made pursuant to this authority shall be paid from any money in
the Center Fund.
The Center Fund shall consist of the sales proceeds of properties
mentioned in Section 4 and the income of the Center from lease
payments and other sources.
Section 4. All real property in the area owned by
the Philippine Government shall be sold at the most
advantageous price by the Board with the advise and assistance of
a representative of the Commission on Audit, and all the
proceeds thereof shall be transferred to and become part of the
Center Fund.
Section 5. All Philippine Government offices or
agencies and private firms using the Center shall pay rent to the
Board: Provided, that in consideration of their service to the
Center, of the Philippine Embassy or Consulate and service
representatives attached to the Embassy or Consulate shall be
exempt from the payment of rent during the Center's first two
fiscal year of operation.
The rate of 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.
Section 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.
A. The following emoluments shall be paid to the
Manager by the Board from the Center Fund:cralaw:red
1. Salary — The Manager shall have an annual
salary twelve thousand US dollars (US$ 12,000.00), with
increase proportionate to any increase in rental rates.
2. Benefits —
a. Health and hospitalization insurance
equivalent to coverage of the employees of the Philippine
Embassy or Consulate.
b. Social Security under local laws. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
B. Functions:
1. The Manager shall be the Secretary of the Board
and shall prepare the agenda and the minutes of Board meetings.
2. He shall be responsible for the safety,
cleanliness and orderly maintenance of the building.
3. He shall perform such other functions as may
be assigned to him by the Board.
Section 7. The Center shall have a trade, tourism
and investment center, called Philippine House, for
Philippine products and cultural, tourism and investment
materials, which shall be under the direct supervision of the
Department of Trade and which shall be operated under guidelines
issued by the Secretary of Trade. The Center shall also provide
for an auditorium/teacher/community room; a library room; a
restaurant; a penthouse for socials of the Embassy or Consulate
and for rental to the Philippine Community; a storage room; and
such other areas as may be necessary or proper to be decided by
the Board.
Section 8. The Department of Trade, with the
assistance and cooperation of other government offices and
agencies concerned, shall be the coordinating and clearing house
of support activities for the center. For this purpose, there
is hereby appropriated out of any fund in the National
Treasury not otherwise appropriated the sum of five million pesos
to serve as a revolving fund of the Department of Trade for
operating expenses of Philippine Houses abroad.
Section 9. The Secretary of Trade may appoint a
Filipino architectural consultant for the Center. Such consultant
shall advise the Board and local architects and/or building
contractors on the exterior and interior renovation work that may
be undertaken in order that the Center may project an image which
is representative of the best in Philippine life and culture.
Section 10. This Decree amends Presidential Decree
No. 188, dated May 10, 1973 and Presidential Decree No. 258,
dated July 31, 1973.
Done in the City of Manila,
this 19th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and
seventy-four.
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