RECOGNIZING THE ADVENTIST INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES AS AN” EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION OF INTERNATIONAL CHARACTER, GRANTING IT CERTAIN PREROGATIVES CONDUCIVE TO IT…

WHEREAS, the Philippines is committed to a future which is
closely tied with the future of Asia, and is annually attracting tens of
thousands of international students of the region to its institutions of higher
learning;

WHEREAS, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, after seven
decades of operating educational institutions from the elementary to the
graduate level in the Philippines, is taking the steps to establish a non-stock,
non-profit educational institution under existing laws of the Philippines, for
the purpose of offering high quality education at the graduate level uniquely
designed to meet the rapidly growing needs of the Church for highly qualified
personnel in all of the Asia-Pacific area;

WHEREAS, since 1967 the Seventh-day Adventist Church has
been offering graduate level education with the proper authorization from the
Philippine government, and has served with some limitations the needs of the
Philippines and some other countries from the Asia-Pacific area, thereby gaining
invaluable international education;

WHEREAS, the Seventh-day Adventist Church wishes at this
time to operate in the Philippines and educational institution of full
international character and dimension that would enable it to more effectively
meet; its growing needs in all the Asia-Pacific area, under the name of
“Adventist International Institute of Advance Studies, Inc.” (AIIAS);

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, president of
the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby
decree and order:

SECTION 1. The “Adventist International Institute of
Advanced Studies” as a graduate educational institution of international
character shall be classified and treated by the Ministry of Education, Culture
and Sports as a foreign school of special character, with an international
student body, faculty, management composition and control, funding support,
programs, curricular offereings, calendar, fee structure, and academic
standards.

SEC. 2. Scholars, trainees, participants, students, fellows
or professors who come to the Philippines under the auspices of the AIIAS shall
be allowed entry as special non-immigrants under Section 47 (a) (2) of the
Philippine Immigration Act of 1940′, as amended, free from the payment of visa
and immigration fees; provided, however, that such persons are holders
of valid passports, are otherwise admissible, and there is no derogatory
information against them.

SEC. 3. The Minister of Education, Culture and Sports in
coordination with the other Government agencies concerned, shall if issue the
necessary implementing rules to carry into effect the purpose of this
Decree.

SEC. 4. All laws, decrees, orders, rules or regulations, or
parts thereof, inconsistent with this Decree are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 31st day of January, in the year of our
Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-six.

			(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS President of the Philippines
	By the President:
	(Sgd.) JUAN C. TUVERA
		Presidential Executive Assistant