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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
Introduced by Senator RICHARD J. GORDON 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Girl Scouts of the Philippines (“Gsp“) is one of the oldest and most esteemed 
organizations in the country. Troops were organized by American Army and Navy 
families in various parts of the Philippines as early as 1917. The Movement was 
officially founded in the late 1930s by wartime heroine Josefa Llanes Escoda and in 
1940, its charter was created by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 542. 
During the Japanese occupation, Ms. Escoda, a number of GSP Central Committee 
members and other women leaders and volunteers rendered much-needed relief to Death 
March prisoners in San Fernando and Capas. Their humanitarian services included 
conveying messages of families to war prisoners, preparing a data base of names and 
addresses of Filipino prisoners of war who were detained at Camp O’Donnel in Capas, 
Tarlac, collection of food, medicine, clothing and other necessities, and feeding and 
provide stranded students. 
With ahnost 1.8 million ineinbers in both public and private schools as of Feburaly 2009, 
the GSP continues to be relevant, now more than ever. Its Mission is both timely and 
timeless: “to help girls and youno women realize the ideals of womanhood and prepare 
them for their roles and responsibilities in the home and in nation-building.” This is in 
consonance with Article 11, Section 13 of the 1987 Constitution, which provides: 
0. 
The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall 
promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social 
well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and 
encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs. 
This bill seeks to preserve the independent nature of the GSP as a private, non-sectarian, 
non-political entity by exempting it from taxes and tariffs, including income and real 
property taxes. The amendments will likewise allow GSP to continue to thrive in the 21” 
century and promote its timeless ideals of volunteerism, honor, loyalty, helpfulness, 
sisterhood, courtesy, respect for all living things, discipline, self-reliance, thrift and 
cleanliness in thought, word and deed. 
In view of the foregoing, the innnediate passage of this is bill is 
ON 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
/ 
Introduced by Senator RICHARD J. GORDON 
AN ACT INSTITUTING THE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE 
PHILIPPINES CHARTER 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House ofRepresentatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be lmown and cited as the “Girl 
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Scouts of the Philippines Charter of 2009. ’’ 
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SECTION 2. Incorporntion. - The “Girl Scouts of the Philippines,” 
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hereinafter called the “Corporation,” with principal office in Metropolitan Manila, 
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as originally and duly organized and incorporated by Conception R. Gonzales, 
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Pilar Hidalgo Lim, Josefa Llanes Escoda, Helena 2. 
Benitez, Maria 
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Quezon, Lulu Reyes, Lily de las Alas, Leni Alano, Erlinda Kalaw, 
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Betty Magalona, Lourdes 
Ledesma, Minerva G. Laudico, all of Manila, 
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Philippines, is hereby recognized and lmown as a private juridical entity 
Trinidad F. Legarda, Emilia Q. Lim, Conception M. Gil, Marina Y. Vargas, 
Philippines, their associates and successors. 
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SECTION 3. Corporate Powers. - The said Corporation shall have 
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perpetual succession, with power to sue and be sued; to acquire, hold, and 
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necessary for corporate purposes, and to receive funds, real and personal 
convey such real and personal estate, rights and chooses in action as shall be 
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property, by gift, device, bequest of 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 existing laws, as may be necessary to carry into effect the 
provisions of this Act and promote the purposes of said Corporation, 
SECTION 4. Vision and Mission. ~ The Corporation envisions the Filipino 
girl and young woman as God-loving, patriotic, progressive, dynamic, and pro- 
active. The mission of this Corporation is to help girls and young women realize 
the ideals of womanhood and prepare themselves for their responsibilities in the 
home, the nation, and the world community. To carry out the mission, 
the Corporation shall be the directing coordinating head of the Girl 
Scouts 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 5. Nature and Purpose. - The Girl Scouts of the Philippines is 
a private and independent, non-stock, non-profit, non-sectarian, non-political, 
corporation that espouses volunteerism 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 6. Central Board - (a) The governing body of the Corporation 
shall be vested in a Central Board composed of at least thirty-seven 
(37) but not more than forty-seven (43 members, as prescribed in the By 
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laws, as follows: 
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(1) eight (8) Charter/ Life members who shall be chose 
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and among themselves; 
the Regional Chairpersons of the Girl Scouts 
Regions of the Philippines who shall be elected 
by their respective Regions; 
(3) the National President of the Boy Scouts of the 
Philippines; 
(4) the immediate Past National President of the Girl 
Scouts of the Philippines; 
(5) one Senior Girl Scout / Cadette or young adult from 
each Girl Scout Region to represent the 
membership, who shall be elected by the Girl 
Scouts of each region; 
(2) 
(6) the remaining members shall be members-at- 
large, who shall be elected by the National 
Council from 
a 
list 
submitted 
by 
the 
Nominating Committee, as defined in the By-laws, 
from nominees from ProvincialiCity Councils 
Regional Committees and National Committees. 
The Central Board shall have the power to make and to amend the 
Constitution and by-laws of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, subject to 
ratification by the National Council, create standing and special committees and 
provide policies and procedures as may be necessary to carry out the business of 
the Corporation. 
It shall meet regularly at least twice a year. Thenumbernecessary 
to constitute a quorum, which number may be less than a majority of the whole 
number of the Board shall be fixed by the By-laws 
The members of 
the Central Board shall serve for a 
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term of three (3) years or until their successors shall have been elected and 
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qualified. In case of inability of a member to assume office or when any 
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vacancy occurs by reason of death, resignation, or incapacity, the position 
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shall be filled by the candidate who received the next highest number 
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The Central Board shall elect from among themselves the 
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National Officers of the Corporation, to wit: the National President, 
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the First National Vice President, the Second National Vice-president, the 
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National 
Secretary, 
the National 
Treasurer, 
the Assistant 
National 
of votes in the preceding election. 
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Secretary, the Assistant National Treasurer, and such other officers as the 
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(b) 
A woman President of the Philippines or the First 
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Philippines. 
Central Board may deem necessary. 
Lady of the Philippines shall be the Chief Girl Scout of the Girl Scouts of the 
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SECTION 7. National Executive Committee - There shall be a 
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Standing Committees, as defined in the By-laws, which shall be 
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and Central Board. 
National Executive Committee composed of all the officers and chairpersons of 
responsible for implementing the policies and decisions of the National Council 
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the By-laws. 
SECTION 8. National Council. -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 
Presidents of the Girl Scout Councils or their duly designated representatives, 
and such number of elected delegates from each council as may be prescribed in 
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The National Council shall convene once every three (3) years in 
a convention assembled for the purpose. Special conventions may he called. The 
number of delegates to constitute a quorum in both conventions, as well as the 
time, place, and manner of holding the same shall be prescribed in the By-Laws 
The National Council shall elect the Members-at-Large of the 
Central Board; ratify amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Girl 
Scouts of the Philippine by a two-thirds (213) votes of its members present and 
voting; serve as a forum for guidelines, policies, and directions; and consider 
such matters as may come before the convention: 
SECTION 9. Girl Scouts Symbols/Trademarks. 
~ The Corporation shall 
adopt distinctive badges, uniforms, insignia, and other equipment which shall 
be made available to and used only by registered Girl Scouts or officials who 
have satisfactorily complied with the international requirements prescribed 
by the World Bureau oft he World Association of Girl Guides and Girl 
Scouts (“WAGGGS”) and which the Girl Scouts of the Philippines shall 
use in carrying out its programs in accordance with the purpose ofthis 
Act. The Corporation shall cause the registration of said badges, uniforms, 
insignias, and other equipment in accordance with the provisions of 
Republic Act No. 8293, otherwise known as the Intellectual Property 
Code of the Philippines, as amended. 
The Intellectual Property Office 
is hereby directed to cause said registration free of charge. 
SECTION 10. Fiscal Incentives. - The Corporation shall be entitled to the 
following tax incentives, duty, privileges and exemptions: 
fa) Exemotion from income tax oursuant to Section 
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30 (e), (9) and (h) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 as amended; 
(b) Tax and/or duty 
exemption 
of 
donations 
from foreign countries as provided under relevant laws such as, but not 
limited to, Section 
105 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the 
Philippines 
as amended, Section 
109(q) of the National Internal 
Revenue Code, as amended. 
Likewise, all donations, legacies, and gifts to the Girl 
Scouts of the Philippines to support its purposes and objective as 
embodied in this Act shall, subject to the limitations and conditions 
under the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, be exempt 
from donor’s tax and shall be deductible from the gross income of the 
donor for income tax purposes, and such donations, legacies, and gifts shall 
be expended by the Central Board in pursuance of this Act. 
The Corporation shall likewise be exempt from payment of all 
other taxes, duties, imposts, and other charges. 
(c) Exemption 
from 
real 
property 
taxes. 
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Penal Cause. - Upon the effectively of this Act, it shall 
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be unlawful to any person within the jurisdiction of the Philippines to falsely 
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and fraudulently call herself as or represent herself to be a member of, or 
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an agent for, Girl Scouts of the Philippines; and any person who violates 
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any of the provisions of this Act shall be punished bypvison correccional in 
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its minimum period or a fine 
not exceeding 
Twenty 
Thousand 
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SECTION 11. 
Pesos (P20,OOO.OO) or both, at the discretion of the court. 
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It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture, 
sell, 
distribute, 
use, 
apply, 
feature, portray 
or cause to be 
manufactured, 
sold, 
distributed, 
applied, 
featured or portrayed 
fraudulently or without the official knowledge and written approval of 
the Central Board of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, badges uniforms, 
insignias, or scouting paraphernalia or the photos or visuals of a Girl 
Scout or Girl Scouts in uniforms, or the logo, seal or corporate name of 
the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, in any print and radio or television 
commercial, 
billboard, 
collateral 
material, 
or any 
form 
of 
advertisement; 
or 
to use 
the name of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines 
for any illegal purpose or personal gain. 
Any violation of the provisions of'Section 9 and this 
Section shall be punished by prision correccional in its medium period to 
prision 
mayor in its minimum period 
or a fine not less than 
Fifty Thousand Pesos 
(P50,OOO.OO) 
nor more than Five 
Hundred 
Thousand Pesos (P500,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court; 
provided, that in case of corporations, partnerships , associations, societies 
or companies, the President, the Chief Executive Officer, Managing 
Partner, the Chairman of the Board, the General Manager, the 
Administrator, 
or the person in charge of 
the 
management or the 
administration of 
the business shall be criminally responsible for any such 
violation, these penalties shall be without prejudice to the proper civil action 
for recovery of civil damages which may be instituted together with or 
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independently of the criminal prosecution. 
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SECTION 12. Transitory Provision. - Until such time as the 
reorganization and restructuring of the Central Board in accordance with the 
Section 6 herein is effected, the president administrative set-up shall be 
maintained to conduct the affairs of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines and to 
talc the necessary steps to effect the reorganization within six (6) months 
from the effectivity of this Act. 
SECTION 13. Dissolution. - In the event that the Girl Scouts of 
the Philippines is dissolved in any manner provided for by law, the properties and 
assets thereof 
shall 
be 
conveyed 
and 
transferred to a Girl Scouts 
of the Philippines Foundation organized for the purpose consistent with 
this Act and to be formed by the members of the Central Board incumbent 
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at the time of such dissolution. 
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SECTION 14. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, decrees, 
presidential Issuance, proclamations, and 
administrative regulations 
inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are hereby 
amended, modified or repealed accordingly, 
specifically, 
among others, 
Executive Order No. 495 dated 06 December 1992. 
SECTION 15. 
Separability Clause. - In the event that any provision 
of this Act is declared void or unconstitutional such declaration shall not 
affect the validity of the unaffected provisions of this Act. 
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general circulation 
SECTION 16. 
Effectivity Clause -This Act shall tale effect fifteen 
(15) days after its complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of 
Approved, 
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