Creating the Philippine Center in San Francisco, California and the Philippine Center Management Board

July 31, 1973

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 258

CREATING THE PHILIPPINE CENTER IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA AND THE PHILIPPINE CENTER MANAGEMENT BOARD

WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to consolidate, integrate and coordinate all the activities in the San Francisco area of all Philippine Government offices and agencies which have hitherto been dispersed and separate from each other, a situation entailing unnecessary expense and duplication of functions;

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;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081 dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1 dated September 22, 1972, as amended, do hereby decree and order as follows: acd

SECTION 1. There shall be incorporated in San Francisco City a Philippine Center Management Board, hereinafter called the "Board", which shall, on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines, acquire by purchase or by any other appropriate means a building in San Francisco City, California, U.S.A., which shall house within its premises all the offices and agencies in San Francisco of the Philippine Government. Such building shall be called "The Philippine Center in San Francisco", hereinafter called "the Center", and shall serve the purposes stated in the second paragraph of the preamble; acd

SECTION 2. The Board shall have the following composition and functions:

A. COMPOSITION —

(1) Chairman — The Philippine Consul General in San Francisco.

(2) Vice Chairman — The head of the Philippine National Bank, San Francisco Agency, who shall also be Treasurer of the Board.

            MEMBERS —

(3) The Philippine Commercial or Trade Promotion Representative in San Francisco.

(4) The head of the Philippine Air Lines in San Francisco.

(5) The Representative in San Francisco of the Department of Tourism.

(6) The Representative in San Francisco of the Auditor General.

(7) The Philippine Center Business Manager who shall also be Secretary of the Board. casia

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, not later than the 31st day of December of each year, its annual report on the operations, financial position and achievements of the Center.

(3) The Board shall, in accordance with its procedures, decide and implement policies dealing with the operations of the Center. It may incur relevant expenditures not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00). All expenditures in excess of $10,000.00 shall have the prior approval of the President of the Philippines.

(4) The Board shall recommend to the President of the Philippines, for his approval, the hiring of the services of a professional firm in San Francisco specializing in building maintenance and janitorial services.

(5) 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.

(6) The Board shall adopt the most practical and effective arrangements for the Security of personnel and the premises.

(7) The Board shall have such other functions consistent with the objectives of this Decree.

SECTION 3. The funds for the purchase, renovation, maintenance and administration of the Center shall be advanced by the Philippine National Bank from its own resources or from such other financing arrangements as the Board of Directors may approve. Such advance(s) shall be called "the Center Fund".

SECTION 4. All real property in San Francisco owned by the Philippine Government shall be sold by the Philippine Consul General in San Francisco with the assistance of the head of the Philippine National Bank Agency in San Francisco and the representative of the Auditor General at the most advantageous prices, and all the proceeds thereof shall be transferred to and become part of the Center Fund.

SECTION 5. All the Philippine Government offices or agencies and private firms using the Center, except the Philippine Consulate General and service representatives attached to the Consulate General, shall pay rent to the Philippine Center Management Board, the rate of which 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 BY THE MANAGER OF THE BOARD FROM THE CENTER FUND. —

(1) Salary— The Manager shall have an annual salary of twelve thousand dollars ($12,000.00), with increments proportionate to any increase in rental rates.

(2) Benefits—

(a) Health and hospitalization insurance equivalent to coverage of the employees of the Philippine National Bank, San Francisco Agency.

(b) Social Security under U. S. law.

B. FUNCTIONS —

(1) The Manager shall also be Secretary of the Board and prepare the agenda for the minutes of Board meetings.

(2) He shall be the Board's direct liaison with the San Francisco stipulated in Section 2 B(4).

(3) He shall be responsible for the safety, cleanliness and orderly operation of the building.

SECTION 7. The Center shall have a storage area for Philippine products, cultural materials, props and miscellaneous equipment; a display center for Philippine products and cultural materials; an auditorium/theater/community room; a library room; a penthouse for socials of the Consulate and for rental to the Philippine community; and such other areas as may be necessary or proper.

SECTION 8. The President of the Philippines may appoint a Filipino architectural consultant for the center. Such consultant shall advise the Board and American architects and/or building contractors on the exterior and interior renovation work that must be undertaken in order that the Center may project and image which is representative of the best in Philippine life and culture. cdt

DONE in the City of Manila, this 31st day of July, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Three.