WHEREAS, there is need for the early revision and codification of the existing substantive laws of the Philippines to make them conform with the customs, traditions and idiosyncrasies of the Filipino people and with the progressive principles of the science of law;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, MANUEL L. QUEZON, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me under the Constitution, do hereby create a Code Committee which shall be composed of such members as the President will appoint from time to time.

The Code Committee shall immediately meet and organize and appoint a secretary, the expense to be incurred in this connection to be paid out of the discretionary funds of the Chief Executive until the National Assembly shall, by appropriate legislation, provide funds for this purpose. The Committee is hereby empowered to call on any official, office, branch or dependency of the Government for such data and assistance as may be required. The committee shall complete its work not later than two years from the date of the appointment of the chairman and members thereof, and shall submit a report of the work undertaken, together with the corresponding drafts of the different codes, to the President for submission to the National Assembly.

Done at the City of Manila this 7th day of November in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and forty, and of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the fifth.


By the President:

(Sgd.) JORGE B. VARGAS
Secretary to the President