FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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ili:i_, 
Second Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S. No. 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article I1 Section 13 of the 1987 Constitution provides: 
“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.” 
The Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) effectively promotes this Constitutional policy 
through its mission, which is “to help girls and young women realize the ideals of womanhood 
and prepare them for their roles and responsibilities in the home and in nation-building.” 
The GSP was created under C.A. 542, as amended. Consistent with the Government’s 
Corporate Rationalization Program, E.O. 495 was issued repealing C.A. 542 together with the 
charters of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and the Philippine Shipper’s Council. E.O. 495 
mandated each of the governing bodies of the three entities to convert their organizations into 
private corporations and register themselves with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 
Privatization of the GSP, however, will lead to the erosion of the special status and 
support it has gained as a uniquely chartered organization dedicated to serving the youth of the 
country for almost 68 years. If it is converted into an ordinary corporation, its continued 
existence may be threatened, as it will be relatively easier to dissolve a private corporation than 
an organization mandated by law. 
This bill is a re-filed version of one filed by the late Senator Raul S. Roc0 in the 1 lth 
Congress and another filed by Senator Franklin Drilon in the 13‘h Congress. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Second Regular Session 
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S. No. 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT FURTHER AMENDING COMMONWEALTH ACT NO. 542, 
AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "AN ACT TO CREATE A CORPORATION TO 
BE KNOWN AS THE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE PHILIPPINES, AMD TO DEFINE ITS 
POWERS AND PURPOSES' 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House ofRepresentatives ofthe Philippines in Congress 
assern bled: 
SECTION 1. Section 5 of Commonwealth Act No. 542, as amended to read as follows: 
"SECTION 5. 
(a) The governing body of the Corporation shall be vested in a 
Central Board composed of thirty-seven (37) Members, as prescribed in the By-Laws, as 
follows: 
(1) the ChartedLife members; 
(2) the Regional Chairmen of the Girl Scout Regions of the Philippines who shall be 
elected by their respective Regions; 
(3) the 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 ScouKadet OR YOUNG ADULT from each Girl Scout Region to 
represent the Girl membership, who shall be elected by the Girl Scouts of each 
region; 
(6) the remaining members shall be the members-at-large, who shall be elected by the 
National Council from a list submitted by the Nominating Committee from 
nominees from Provincial/City Councils, REGIONAL COMMITTEES and National 
Committees. 
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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. The number necessary to constitute a 
quorum, which number may be less than a majority of the whole number o f  the Board 
shall be fixed by the By-Laws. 
The members of the Central Board shall serve for a term of three (3) years or until 
their successors shall have been elected and qualified. In case of inability of a member to 
assume office or when any vacancy occurs by reason of death, resignation, or incapacity, 
the position shall be filled by the candidate who received the next highest number of 
votes in the preceding election. 
The Central Board shall elect from among themselves the NATIONAL officers of 
the Corporation, to wit: the National President, the First National Vice-President, the 
Second National Vice-President, the National Secretary, the Assistant National Secretary, 
the National Treasurer, and the Assistant National Treasurer. 
(b) 
A woman President of the Philippines or the First Lady of the Philippines 
shall be the Chief Girl Scout of the Philippines.” 
SECTION 2. Section 8 of Commonwealth Act No. 542 as amended, is hereby further 
amended to read as follows: 
“SECTION 8. 
The Corporation [created by this Act] shall adopt distinctive 
badges, uniforms, insignia, and other [equipment(s)] EQUIPMENT [and] 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 of [this Movernent] THE 
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF GIRL GUIDES AND GIRL SCOUTS (WAGGGS) and which the 
Girl Scouts of the Philippines shall use in carrying out its program in accordance with the 
purpose of this Act. The corporation shall cause the registration of said badges, uniforms, 
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insignias, and other [equipments] EQUIPMENT in accordance with the provisions of Republic 
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Act [Numbered One hundred sixty-six, and the Patent Office] NO. 8293, OTHERWISE 
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KNOWN AS THE “INTELECTUAL PROPERTY CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES,” AS 
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AMENDED. THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE is hereby directed to cause said 
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registration free of charge.” 
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SECTION 3. Section 9 of Commonwealth Act No. 542, as amended, is hereby further 
amended to read as follows: 
“SECTION 9. 
[Any donation or contribution which €rom time to time may 
be made to the Girl Scouts of the Philippines by the Government or any of its subdivisions, 
branches, offices agencies or instrumentalities shall be administered by the Central Board in 
pursuance of this Act.] 
[All donations made to the Girl Scouts of the Philippine shall be from payment of 
taxes on donations, and the Corporation shall be exempt from the payment of all taxes, duties, 
imposts, and other charges] 
THE CORPORATION SHALL BE ENTITLED TO THE FOLLOWING TAX 
AND DUTY PRIVILEGES: 
(a) EXEMPTION FROM INCOME TAX PURSUANT TO SECTION 30 (E), 
(G) AND (H) OF THE NATIOONAL INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 
1997, AS AMENDED; AND 
TAX AND/OR DUTY EXEMPTION OF DONATIONS FROM FOREIGN 
COUNTRIES AS PROVIDED UNDER RELEVANT LAW SUCH AS, 
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SECTION 105 OF THE TARIFF AND 
CUSTOMS CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AS AMENDED, AND 
SECTION 109 (Q) OF THE NATIONAL INTERNAL REVENUE CODE 
OF 1997, AS AMENDED. 
(b) 
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“LIKEWISE, ALL DONATIONS, LEGACIES, AND GIFTS TO THE 
GIRL SCOUTS OF THE PHILIPPINES TO SUPPORT ITS PURPOSES 
AND OBJECTIVES 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 THE 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.” 
SECTION 4. Section 10 of Commonwealth Act No. 542, as amended, is hereby further 
amended to read as follows: 
“SECTION 10. 
[On or before the first day of May each year, the said] THE 
Corporation shall make and transmit to the [President] CHIEF GIRL SCOUT of the Philippines 
[a] AN ANNUAL report [of its proceedings for the year ending December thirty-first preceding, 
including] WHICH SHALL INCLUDE a full, complete, and itemized report of receipts and 
expenditures of whatever kind.” 
SECTION 5. Section 11 of Commonwealth Act No. 542, as amended, is hereby further 
amended to read as follows: 
“SECTION 1 1. 
From and after passage of this Act, it shall be unlawful for 
any person within the jurisdiction of the Philippines to falsely and €raudulently call herself to be 
a member of, or an agent €or, the Girl Scouts of the Philippines; and any person who violates any 
of the provisions of this Act shall be punished by [imprisonment of not to exceed six (6) months 
or a fine not exceeding five hundred pesos (500.00),] PRISION CORRECCIONAL IN ITS 
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MINIMUM PERIOD OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING TWENTY THOUSAND PESOS 
(P20,OOO.OO) or both, at the discretion of the court.” 
“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 SOF THE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE PHILIPPINES BADGES, 
UNIFORMS, INSIGNIA, OR SCOUTING PARAPHERNALIA OR THE PHOTOS OR 
VISUALS OF A GIRL SCOUT OR GIRL SCOUTS IN UNFORM, OR THE LOGO, SEAL 
OR CORPORATE NAME OF THE GIRL SCHOUTS OF THE PHILIPPINES IN ANY PRINT 
AND 
RADIO 
OR 
TELEVISION 
COMMERCIAL, BILLBOARD, 
COLLATERAL 
MATERIAL OR ANY FORM ADVERTISEMENT; OR TO USE THE NAME OF THE GIRL 
SCOUTS OF THE PHILIPPINES IN ANY ILLEGAL PURPOSE OR PERSONAL GAIN. 
ANY VIOLATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 8 AND THIS SECTION SHALL BE 
PUNISHED BY PRISION CORRECCIONAL 
IN ITS MEDIUM PERIOD TO PRISION 
MAYOR IN ITS MINIMUM PERIOD OR A FINE OF 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 MANAGER, ADMINISTRATOR, OR THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF 
THE MANAGEMENT OR 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 
INDEPENDENTLY OF THE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.” 
SECTION 6. Commonwealth Act No. 542, as amended, is hereby fwther amended by 
adding a new section, Section 14 to read as follows: 
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“Section 14. DISSOLUTION - IN THE EVENT THAT THE GIRL SCOUTS 
OF THE PHILIPPINES IS DISSOLVED BY LAW, THE PROPERTIES AND ASSETS 
THEREOF SHALL BE CONVEYED AND TRANSFERRED TO A GSP FOUNDATION, IF 
THERE BE ANY, ORGANIZED FOR THE PURPOSE, OR TO BE FORMED BY THE 
MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL BOARD INCUMBENT AT THE TIME OF DISSOLUTION.” 
SECTION 7. Section 2 (c), Section 6 (c), and Annex “C” of Executive Order No. 495 
[series of 19911 insofar as they apply to the Girl Scouts of the Philippines are hereby repealed. 
All other laws, decrees, orders, proclamations, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent 
with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, d e s  and regulations or parts 
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified 
accordingly. 
SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any provision of this Act is 
declared to be unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof which are not 
affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
following its publication in the Oficial Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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