MALACAÑANG

MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROCLAMATION NO. 948

DECLARING 1997 AS CONSTITUTION AWARENESS YEAR

WHEREAS,

the Filipino people will commemorate the Tenth Anniversary of the Constitution which was overwhelmingly ratified by the Filipino people in a plebiscite held on February 2, 1987;

WHEREAS,

February 2 of every year has been declared as Constitution Day by Proclamation No. 211 (January 29, 1988) and the period covered by February 2 to 8 of every year as Constitution Week by Proclamation No. 322 (February 2, 1994);

WHEREAS,

on this date it is only fitting that we rekindle the spirit of nationalism and democracy in our people’s hearts and minds which tenets the Constitution embodies and stands for;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS,

President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby declare the year 1997 as Constitution Awareness Year under the auspices of the Philippine Constitution Association (PHILCONSA). Pursuant hereto, the PHILCONSA is exhorted to engage all Filipinos in a sustained campaign to maintain a high level of awareness of the Constitution, the rights and duties emanating therefrom, and to ensure that our ideals of democracy and nationalism remain vibrant and strong as we near our goal of Philippines 2000.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF,

I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

DONE

in the City of Manila, this 22

^nd

day of January in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Seven.

(Sgd.)

FIDEL V. RAMOS

By the President:

(Sgd.)

RUBEN D. TORRES