Office of the President

of the Philippines

Malacañang

MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 420

CONSTITUTING A NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ON THE 1997 OBSERVANCE OF THE ARAW NG KAGITINGAN AND PHILIPPINE VETERANS WEEK

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 203, series of 1987, declared 09 April of every year as a regular holiday for the celebration of Araw ng Kagitingan;

WHEREAS, Proclamation No. 466, series of 1989, designated the period 05 April to 11 of every year as Philippine Veterans Week in order to promote, preserve and memorialize the principles, ideals and deeds of our War Veterans and as a means to enhance patriotism and love of country, especially among the youth of the land;

WHEREAS, there is a need to create a body that shall spearhead the commemoration of the said events with fitting activities to ensure their success.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers granted in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. There is hereby constituted a National Executive Committee on the observance of Araw ng Kagitingan and Philippine Veterans Week, which shall be headed by the Undersecretary for Veterans and Reserve Affairs, Department of National Defense, as Chairman, with the following as members:

Executive Director, National Centennial Commission

Undersecretary of Tourism

Undersecretary of Education, Culture and Sports

Undersecretary of Public Works and Highways

Undersecretary of Interior and Local Government

Undersecretary of Budget and Management

Undersecretary of Transportation and Communications

Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines

Director General, Philippine National Police

Governor, Province of Bataan

Governor, Province of Tarlac

Governor, Province of Cavite

Head, Philippine Information Agency

Administrator, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office

Executive Director, National Historical Institute

President, Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP)

National Commander, Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor (DBC)

President, VFP Sons and Daughters of Veterans, Inc. (VFP-SDAI)

National President, Boy Scouts of the Philippines

National President, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, and

Chief, Military Shrines Service

SEC. 2. The Committee is hereby empowered to call any agency or instrumentality of the government including government-owned and  controlled corporations and to invite any private individual or non-government organizations, for such financial and other kind of assistance as it may need in the discharge of its functions and only for the duration of the celebration.

SEC. 3. The release of ONE MILLION PESOS (P 1,000,000.00), chargeable against the 1997 President’s Contingent Fund, is hereby authorized to carry out the provisions of this Memorandum Order. Any deficiency shall be charged against the regular budget of the participating agencies.

SEC. 4. This Memorandum Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 4th day of March in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Seven.

By authority of the President:

(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES

Executive Secretary

Source: CDAsia