WHEREAS, in an ever increasing awareness of their responsibilities in social and economic development and in response to the challenge of building a New Society, the ecumenical faiths and the private sector are sharing more fully their goodwill, their efforts, and their resources with the Government of the Philippines;
WHEREAS, in the pursuit of their respective developmental programs, the Government, the ecumenical faiths, and the private sector realize the need of collaboration and cooperation, while maintaining and respecting their respective roles and responsibilities;
WHEREAS, one effective means of involving and of making the citizenry co-responsible in the task of nation-building is through continuing and effective public consultations in the formulation of government development plans and policies; and
WHEREAS, it is now essential that the National Social Action Council (NASAC) as the body originally created to make such consultations with the Government possible, should acquire the juridical personality and the powers necessary for it to become fully operative in the cause of national development;
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 all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No, 1081, dated 21 September 1972, do hereby decree that:
SECTION 1. Executive Order No. 182-A is hereby amended by making it a body corporate, with the following major functions and powers:
SEC. 2. The members of the Council shall be those enumerated under Executive Order No. 182-A, as amended, and the heads of such other church and private organizations or government agencies as the Council may deem fit to elect.
SEC. 3. The National Social Action Council (NASAC) shall have perpetual succession and shall have all legal powers appertaining to a juridical person, particularly the power to sue and be sued; to contract and be contracted with; to hold real and personal property as may be necessary for corporate purposes; to accept and receive real and personal property by gift, device or bequest; to levy and collect membership dues and special assessments from its members; to adopt a seal and alter the same at pleasure; to have offices and conduct its affairs in the Greater Manila Area and elsewhere; and generally to do all such acts and things as may be necessary or proper to carry into effect and promote the purposes for which it was organized.
SEC. 4. As a civic organization created by law, all donations or contributions which may be made by private entities or persons to the National Social Action Council (NASAC) shall be exempt from income and gift taxes, and the same shall further be deductible in full and shall not be included for purposes of computing the maximum amount deductible under Section 30, paragraph (h), of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended.
SEC. 5. There is hereby appropriated annually the sum of two hundred fifty thousand pesos (P250,000) out of the funds of the National Treasury as the share of the Government in the total fund requirements of the NASAC projects.
SEC. 6. The Council shall adopt its own rules and regulations to govern its organization in accordance with the purpose of this Decree.
SEC. 7. This Decree shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila, this 18th day of September, in the year of Our
Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.
(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines
By the President: (Sgd.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA Assistant Executive Secretary