Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. There is established in the Armed Forces of the Philippines a Women's Auxiliary Corps which shall perform administrative duties and such other functions and services as may be prescribed by the Secretary of National Defense. It shall be composed of officers and enlisted women the full complement of which shall not exceed one per cent of the total manpower strength of the Armed Forces of the Philippines: Provided, That the ratio of officers to enlisted women shall be one officer for every twenty enlisted women.

SEC. 2. Officers of the Women's Auxiliary Corps shall be commissioned in the Reserve Force by the President of the Philippines upon recommendation of the Secretary of National Defense from unmarried female native-born citizens of the Philippines between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-six years who are holders of Bachelor's degrees from any school, college or university recognized by the Government and are possessed of such additional qualifications as may be prescribed by the Secretary of National Defense: Provided, however, That all initial commissions shall be in the rank of second lieutenant except that within a period of two years from the approval of this Act, and under such rules and regulations as the President of the Philippines may prescribe, the President is hereby authorized to commission officers in the Women's Auxiliary Corps in ranks above second lieutenant but not higher than captain.

SEC. 3. Any unmarried and without dependent female citizen of the Philippines, between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five years, able-bodied, free from disease, of good moral character and habits and who is a high school graduate may be enlisted in the Women's Auxiliary Corps for a term of three years: Provided, That insofar as practicable, enlistments shall be apportioned among the various provinces of the Philippines: Provided, further, That those who are high school undergraduates who possess working knowledge of typewriting and stenography or such other special skills necessary in the performance of administrative duties and other functions and services as determined by the Secretary of National Defense may be enlisted in the Women's Auxiliary Corps.

SEC. 4. The names of all commissioned officers of the Women's Auxiliary Corps shall be contained in a separate promotion list which shall be known as the Women's Auxiliary Corps Promotion List, separate and distinct from those of the major services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. They shall be promoted in the same manner as officers of the Nurse Corps: Provided, however, That no officer of the Women's Auxiliary Corps shall be promoted to a rank higher than that of a major. Enlisted women of the Women's Auxiliary Corps shall likewise be promoted in the same manner as enlisted women of the Nurse Corps.

SEC. 5. Except as otherwise specifically provided, all laws and rules and regulations now or hereafter applicable to male commissioned officers and enlisted men, shall be applicable respectively to commissioned officers and enlisted women of the Women's Auxiliary Corps: Provided, That upon contracting marriage, they shall be automatically separated or discharged from the service: Provided, further, That if they become pregnant out of wedlock they shall be discharged for cause.

SEC. 6. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to mean the displacement or separation from the service of those female civilian employees under the employ of the Armed Forces of the Philippines before the approval of this Act: provided, That in the commission and enlistment herein provided, these female employees shall be given preference in the commission and/or enlistment, subject to the same conditions, limitations and qualifications hereinabove provided.

SEC. 7. The amount of one million five hundred thousand pesos is hereby appropriated, out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the initial implementation of this Act, and such amounts as shall thereafter be needed shall be included in the annual appropriations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 22, 1963.