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MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ Proclamation No. 1726, March 31, 1978 ]

DECLARING 1978 AS MANUEL L. QUEZON NATIONAL CENTENNIAL YEAR AND DESIGNATING THE NATIONAL HISTORICAL INSTITUTE TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE CELEBRATION.

WHEREAS, the year 1978 marks the birth centenary of the late MANUEL LUIS QUEZON, first President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and one of the foremost leaders and statesmen of our people;

WHEREAS, President Quezon had served our country with great distinction in peace and war from the Revolutionary period in 1898 to the time of his death in 1944;

WHEREAS, Quezon rendered signal service to our country and people as provincial fiscal, provincial governor, delegate to the First Philippine Assembly, Resident Commissioner to the United States, President of the Philippine Senate; and finally as President of the Philippines (1935-1944);

WHEREAS, it is important that the valuable contributions of this great leader to the political emancipation of our people and the promotion of our national progress during his stewardship of the government be inculcated in the minds of our citizenry, particularly the youth of the land;

WHEREAS, it is imperative that the spirit of service and self-sacrifice demonstrated by President Quezon should always be remembered by the present and future generations of Filipinos; and

WHEREAS, it is of prime importance that the heroic deeds and unquestioned loyalty and patriotism of this man from Baler should be projected and emulated;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby declare 1978 as Manuel L. Quezon Centenary Year and designate the National Historical Institute to take charge of the celebration and to undertake the following activities in coordination with the Executive Committee created for the purpose;

1. Prepare the general program of the centenary and submit a copy of same to the President of the Philippines for his information;

2. Promote and direct commemorative celebrations throughout the Philippines;

3. Collect, edit and publish the important speeches and state papers of President Quezon that have not yet been published;

4. Erect a fitting and inspiring monuments or memorial in honor of President Quezon in places where it should be erected;

5. Conduct a nation-wide contest in painting and sculpture and in music that shall appropriately and properly honor Quezon;

6. Initiate and sponsor the holding of a three-day Congress or Convention in Quezon City to the building and progress of the Filipino nation;

7. Coordinate with the Bureau of Posts relative to the issuance of commemorative stamps and cause the issuance of commemorative medals for the Quezon Centenary;

It is hereby authorized to accept or received donations and other conveyance of funds, materials and services gratuitously for use in the furtherance of its purposes and objectives as well as to conduct fund drives subject to the provisions of Section 1 of Presidential Decree No. 373 dated January 9, 1974.

The Institute is likewise empowered to call on any department, bureau, office or agency of the government, including government owned or controlled corporations, for such assistance as it may need in the discharge of its functions relative to the centenary celebration.1aшphi1

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

Done in the City of Manila, this 31st day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-eight.

(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) JUAN C. TUVERA
Presidential Assistant

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation

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