RECOGNIZING THE SPANISH LANGUAGE AS AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES

WHEREAS, Section 3 of Article XIV of the 1935 Constitution
of the Philippines provided that “until otherwise provided by law,
English and Spanish shall continue as official languages”;

WHEREAS, Section 3(3) of Article XV of the new Constitution
provides that “until otherwise provided by law, English and Pilipino
shall be the official languages”;

WHEREAS, a sizeable part of documents in government files
are written in the Spanish language and have not been officially
translated into either English or Filipino language;

WHEREAS, it is advisable to maintain the legal admissibility
of important documents in government files which are written in the
Spanish language pending their translation into either English or
Pilipino language; and

WHEREAS, Spanish language is a part of our priceless
national heritage, which we share with the great Hispanic community of
nations;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested 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 order and decree that
the Spanish language shall continue to be recognized as an official
language in the Philippines while important documents in government
files are in the Spanish language and not translated into either English
or Pilipino language.

This Decree shall form part of the law of the land and shall take
effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 15th day of
March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.