Ninth Philippine Legislature Third Session (No. 4120) AN ACT CREATING A NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FOR TH PROMOTION OF RESEARCH WORK ALONG SCIENTIFIC LINES Be it known by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Legislature assembled and by authority of the same: Section 1. One hundred and fifty prominent scientists and technical men of the Philippine Islands to be selected by the Governor-General with the advice and consent of the Senate, as charter members; and their associates and successors duly chosen are hereby incorporated, constituted, and declared to be a body corporate by the name of National Research Council of the Philippine Islands. Section 2. The purposes of this corporation are: (1) In general, to stimulate research in the mathematical, physical and biological sciences, and in the application of these sciences to engineering, agriculture, medicine, and other useful arts, with the objective of increasing knowledge, starting studies of problems of the national defense, and contributing in other ways to the public welfare. (2) To survey the larger possibilities of sciences, to formulate comprehensive projects of research, and develop effective means of utilizing the scientific and technical resources of the country for dealing with these projects. (3) To promote cooperation in research, at home and abroad in order to secure concentration of effort, minimize duplication, and stimulate progress; but in all cooperative undertakings to give encouragement to individual initiative as fundamentally important to the advancement of science. (4) To gather and collate scientific and technical information at home and abroad, in cooperation with governmental and other agencies and to render such information available to duly accredited persons. Section 3. The National Research Council of the Philippine Islands shall, aside from the charter members mentioned in Section 1 hereof, consists of members duly elected by the incorporators thereof in accordance with its Constitution and By-Laws and the said corporation shall have power to make its own organization, including its constitution, by-laws, and rules and regulations; to fill vacancies created by death, resignation or otherwise; to provide for the election of members, division into classes, and other matters needful or usual in such institution. Section 4. The National Research Council of the Philippine Islands shall hold an annual meeting at such place and as such time in the Philippine Islands as may be designated, and the Council shall, whenever called upon by any Department of the Government, investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any subject of science or art, the actual expenses of such investigations, examinations, experiments, reports to be paid from appropriation which may be made for the purpose, but the Council shall receive no extra compensation whatever for any services rendered to the Government of the Philippine Islands. Act 4120, By Laws of the NRCP Page 1 of 9 Section 5. The National Research Council of the Philippine Islands is hereby authorize and empowered to receive bequests and donations and hold the same in trust, to be applied by the said Council in aid of scientific investigations according to the will of the donors. Section 6. The said National Research Council of the Philippine Islands shall, in carrying out its aims and functions, and its purposes and powers provided in this Act, be exempt from the payment of all internal revenue taxes, fees, assessment and other charges of the Government. Section 7. From and after the passage of this Act it shall be unlawful for any person within the jurisdiction of the Philippine Islands to falsely and fraudulently hold himself out as, or represent himself out as, or represent himself to be, a member of, or an agent for, the National Research Council of the Philippine Islands, for the purpose of soliciting, collecting, or receiving money or material; and any person who violates the provisions of this section, shall be guilty of estafa and shall be dealt with accordingly. Section 8. To help the said National Research Council of the Philippine Islands in carrying out its work provided in this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce is hereby authorized and empowered to turn over to the national Research Council such sums of money and extend such aid as the said Secretary may from time to time consider necessary, the money to come out of any available balance of lump sum item of the appropriation authorized for the Department of Agriculture and Commerce or out of the money appropriated by Act numbered Thirty-one Hundred and Fifty three entitled, An Act to appropriate the sum of six hundred and eighty thousand pesos to be disbursed by the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources for promotion of new, and the improvement of existing industries, and for other purposes: Provided, that in no case shall the sum to be allotted for the purposes of this Act exceed twenty-thousand pesos. Section 9. The National Research Council of the Philippine Islands shall submit regularly an annual report to the Philippine Legislature and to the Governor-General, containing an accurate account of its work and activities during the corresponding fiscal year. Section 10. This Act shall take effect on its approval. Approved, December 8, 1933. Act 4120, By Laws of the NRCP Page 2 of 9 BY-LAWS of the NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE PHILIPPINES (As amended on February 26, 1948, February 23, 1961, February 22, 1962, February 28, 1964, February 18, 1966, February 23, 1973, February 22, 1974, March 4, 1977, March 15, 1980, March 14, 1981, September 12, 1981, October 17, 1981, March 19, 1983, March 10, 1984, March 23, 1985, March 14, 1987, March 16, 1990, March 16, 1991 and September 16, 1992 and March 12, 1994, March 11, 1995, March 15, 1997, March 13, 1999, March 03, 2001, March 13, 2004, March 5, 2005, March 4, 2006, March 8, 2007, March 11, 2009). Article I – Purpose In accordance with the provisions of Section 2, Act No. 4120, the purposes of the National Research Council of the Philippines are: (1) To stimulate and support research in the mathematical, physical, biological and social sciences and the humanities and the application of these disciplines to engineering, agriculture, medicine and related fields with the object of advancing the frontiers of knowledge and developing concepts and technologies for national development, defense and welfare. (2) To survey the larger possibilities of science, to formulate comprehensive projects of research, and develop effective means of utilizing the scientific and technical resources of the country for dealing with these projects. (3) To promote cooperation in research at home and abroad, in order to secure concentration of effort, minimize duplication, and stimulate progress; but in all cooperative undertakings to give encouragement to individual initiative as fundamentally important to the advancement of science. (4) To gather and collate scientific and technical information at home and abroad, in cooperation with government and other agencies and to render such information available to as wide a public as deemed necessary. (5) To promote the continuing total development of the Filipino scientist and researcher as a professional and as a member of the larger society. (6) To serve as advisory and consultative body to government policymakers in matters relating to science and technology and to provide a forum for the discussion and formulation of scientific plans and policies. (7) To facilitate effective linkages between government and the educational scientific, industrial and other sectors in order to insure optimal utilization of resources and results of scientific research. Article II – Membership Section 1. The regular members of the National Research Council shall be the charter members and such other members duly elected by the Council upon nomination of the Governing Board, the toal to be determined from time to time by the Governing board to meet Act 4120, By Laws of the NRCP Page 3 of 9 the changing needs of science in the Philippines. Associate members shall be elected by the Governing Board upon nomination of the Division. Section 2. Regular membership in the Council shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines. Section 3. Upon invitation of the Governing Board, foreign scientists may be elected honorary members without the right to vote, for outstanding research contribution to the Philippines or in international science community. Section 4. Regular membership in the Council may be lost by death, resignation, or separation for cause. Section 5. Any regular or associate member who cannot attend the annual or regional cluster meeting of the Council shall inform the Council in advance of the cause of his/her inability to attend. For failure to attend three (3) successive annual or regional cluster meetings of the Council without any valid cause or reason and for failure to comply with the requirement for continued membership, a regular or associate member shall be placed in inactive status. Section 5a. Members on inactive status are: 1) those who failed to attend the last three successive annual or regional cluster meetings of the Council without giving any reason or cause for such non-attendance; 2) those who have not attended any divisional meeting in a year without giving any reason or cause for such non-attendance, provided that at least three (3) meetings were held within a year; 3) those who live and work outside the National Capitol Region (NCR), Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal, batangas and Cavite may be exempted from provision number 2. Those who have reached the age of 65 years are not covered by the above rules. Section 5b. Members aged 65 and above who have remained loyal to the NRCP and who are actively participating in the activities of the Council be given an incentive of 50% discount in registration fees in annual meetings which shall commence in March 2002.