MAKING PUBLIC THE GENEVA CONVENTION RELATIVE TO THE PROTECTION OF CIVILIAN PERSONS IN TIME OF WAR OF AUGUST 12, 1949

WHEREAS, the Geneva Convention Relative to the
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of August 12, 1949, which was
opened for signature until February 12,1950, was signed by authorized
representatives of the Philippines and of other countries;

WHEREAS, the Convention provides, among others,
that in addition to the provisions which shall be implemented in peace time,
the present Convention shall apply to all cases of declared war or of any other
armed conflict which may arise between two or more of the High Contracting
Parties, even if the state of war is not recognized by one of them, and. that
it shall also apply to all cases of partial or total occupation of the
territory of a High Contracting Party, even if the said occupation meets with
no armed resistance;

WHEREAS, the Convention likewise provides that in
the relation between the Powers who are bound by the Hague Conventions relative
to the Laws and Customs of War on Land, whether that of July 29, 1899, or that
of October 18, 1907, and who are parties to the present Convention, this last
Convention shall be supplementary to Sections II and III of the Regulations
annexed to the above-mentioned Conventions of the Hague;

WHEREAS, the Senate of the Congress of the
Philippines, by its Resolution No. 91 adopted on May 19, 1952, concurred in the
ratification of the aforesaid Convention in accordance with the Constitution of
the Philippines;

WHEREAS, the instrument of ratification of the
Republic of the Philippines was signed by the President on August 20, 1952, and
deposited on October 6, 1952 with the Swiss Government; and,

WHEREAS, the said Convention entered into force
for the Philippines six months after the said deposit of its instrument of
ratification, in accordance with Article 153 thereof;

NOW, THEREFORE, be it known that I, Ramon
Magsaysay, President of the Philippines, do hereby proclaim and make public the
said Geneva Convention Relative to the protection of Civilian Persons in Time
of War of August 12, 1949, a copy of which is hereto attached, to the end that
the same and every article and clause thereof may be observed and fulfilled
with good faith by the Republic of the Philippines and the citizens thereof.

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

Done at the City of Manila, this 16th day of
February, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and fifty-six, and of the
Independence of the Philippines, the tenth.

RAMON MAGSAYSAY
President of the Philippines

By the President:

FORTUNATO DE LEON
Acting Executive Secretary