WHEREAS, it is the avowed policy of the government to protect the people against the introduction and exhibition of motion pictures which are deemed immoral, indecent, contrary to law, good customs or injuries to the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines or its people;

WHEREAS, a Board of Censors for Motion Pictures was created under R.A. No. 3060 to carry out the objectives of this policy;

WHEREAS, since 1976 an Interim Board of Censors has been conducting the affairs of the Board;

WHEREAS, there is a need to reconstitute a Board of Censors for Motion Pictures in order to provide multi-sector and broader perspective for the review of motion pictures; and

WHEREAS, under Presidential Decree No. 1416, the President is empowered to undertake such organizational and relative improvements as may be appropriate in the light of changing circumstances and new development;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and pursuant to the authority vested in me by Presidential Decree No. 1416, do hereby order and ordain:

SECTION 1. The Board of Censors for Motion Pictures is hereby reconstituted to be composed of one chairman, three vice-chairmen and twenty-four members. The Chairman, the three vice-chairmen and nineteen members of the Board shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines. The other five members of the Board shall be senior officials of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Information and of the National Intelligence and Security Authority (NISA). They shall be designated by the respective ministers and by the Director-General in the case of the NISA representative.

The chairman shall serve for a term of four years. The vice-chairman and the members first appointed by the President shall hold office as follows: one vice-chairman and seven members for two years, one vice-chairman and six members for three years, and one vice-chairman and the other six members for four years, and thereafter, the term of Office of the vice-chairman and the appointive members shall all be for four years. If the chairman, or any of the vice-chairmen or appointive members fails to complete his term of office, the person appointed to fill the vacancy in the Board shall serve only for the unexpired term of the members he replaces.

No person shall be appointed to the Board unless he is a citizen of the Philippines, not less than thirty years of age, of good moral standing in the community, and not directly connected with the motion picture or television industries: Provided, That in the selection of members of the Board, consideration shall be made to bring in a multi-sectoral field of expertise on the various aspects of motion picture review.

The chairman, the three vice-chairmen and all members of the Board shall be entitled to honoraria and transportation and allowances to be determined by the Board and subject to the approval of the Minister of the Budget.

SEC. 2. The Board shall have a secretariat to be headed by an executive officer who shall be appointed by the President. The executive officer shall also act as the Secretary of the Board.

SEC. 3. For purposes of reviewing motion pictures, the Board may organize itself into working groups, provided that each group shall be headed by the chairman or a vice-chairman. Each group shall perform its review functions independently of the other groups and its recommendations shall be submitted to the chairman for decision.

SEC. 4. Decisions of the Board are appealable to the President of the Philippines whose decision shall be final. A screening committee in the Office of the President is hereby created composed of a chairman and four members to be appointed by the President of the Philippines which shall submit its recommendation to the President. The Legal Office shall serve as the secretariat of the screening committee.

SEC. 5. The provisions of Republic Act No. 3060 which are inconsistent with this Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 22nd day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty.


By the President:

(SGD.) JOAQUIN T. VENUS, JR.
Presidential Staff Director