TANGGAPAN NG PANGULO NG PILIPINAS

(OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES)

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 644

PRESCRIBING THE ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF VARIOUS GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL CULTURE CONSCIOUSNESS WEEK FROM JULY 1 TO JULY 7, 1973

WHEREAS, the country is going through an intellectual and cultural renaissance to enhance the Filipino spirit and the imaginative genius of our people;

WHEREAS, the Constitution of 1973 provides that “Filipino culture shall be preserved and developed for national identity. Arts and letters shall be under the patronage of the State”;

WHEREAS, the President of the Philippines has issued Proclamation No. 1148 declaring the period from July 1 to 7 of every year as National Culture Consciousness Week, and has created a Special Committee to take charge of its celebration this year; and

WHEREAS, that Special Committee has convened and laid out the guidelines and activities to be undertaken in observance of National Culture Consciousness Week;

NOW, THEREFORE, for the proper guidance of all concerned, the following activities and responsibilities are enjoined to be implemented by all executive departments, bureaus, offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the National Government, government-owned or controlled corporations, as well as governments of all provinces, cities and municipalities in pursuance of the foregoing cultural objectives:

1. All national government offices, government corporations and local governments shall undertake appropriate cultural presentations and displays during the week.

2. That all schools, public and private, undertake field trips to art and book exhibits and cultural institutions which are symbolic and characteristic of the national culture.

3. All concerned national government offices, government corporations and local governments shall undertake such activities and assume such responsibilities as assigned by the Committee on National Culture Consciousness Week Celebration.

All national government offices, government corporations and local governments are hereby authorized to allot and expend such sums of money as may be necessary to carry out their respective cultural activities, but such amount shall be in keeping with the spirit of the policy of fiscal restraint.

All concerned are hereby directed to act accordingly.

By authority of the President:

ALEJANDRO MELCHOR

Executive Secretary

Manila, June 25, 1973

Source: Presidential Management Staff