DECLARING NATIONAL SHRINES AS SACRED (HALLOWED) PLACES AND PROHIBITING DESECRATION THEREOF

WHEREAS, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines
has declared certain places in the country as National Shrines because
they were the sites of the birth, exile, imprisonment, detention or
death of great and eminent leaders of the nation;

WHEREAS, among these National Shrines are the birthplace
of Dr. Jose Rizal in Calamba, Laguna; Talisay, Dapitan City, where the
hero was exiled for four years; Fort Santiago, Manila, where he was
imprisoned in 1896 prior to his execution; Talaga, Tanauan, Batangas
where Apolinario Mabini was born; Pandacan, Manila, where Mabini’s house
in which he died, is located; and Aguinaldo Mansion in Kawit, Cavite,
where Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, first President of the Philippines, was
born, and where Philippine Independence was solemnly proclaimed on June
12, 1898; Batan, Aklan, where the “Code of Kalantiyaw” was promulgated
in 1433; etc.; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Government to hold and
keep said National Shrines as sacred and hallowed places;

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 September 21, 1972, and General
Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, do hereby declare said National
Shrines and others which may be proclaimed in the future as National
Shrines to be hallowed places and the desecration of the same in the
form of disturbing their peace and serenity by digging, excavating,
defacing, causing unnecessary noise and/or committing unbecoming acts
within the premises of said National Shrines, is hereby strictly
prohibited.

Any person who shall violate this Decree shall upon conviction,
be punished by imprisonment for not less than ten (10) years or a fine
of not less than ten thousand pesos (P10,000) or both fine and
imprisonment in the discretion of the court or tribunal concerned.

This Decree is hereby made part of the law of the land and
shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 24th day of January, in the
year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.

			(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
			President
			Republic of the Philippines
	By the President:
	(Sgd.) ALEJANDRO MELCHOR
		Executive Secretary