QuestionsQuestions (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 217)
It cited Section 5 of Article XIII of the Constitution, which provides that all schools shall aim to develop moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience, and teach the duties of citizenship.
The Secretary of Public Instruction.
To fulfill the constitutional mandate on education by prescribing certain civic and ethical principles that schools must teach pending adoption of a more complete Code of Citizenship and Ethics.
Because the committee’s code was not yet formulated and adopted; thus, it was essential for schools to take immediate steps to effectuate the constitutional mandate.
Examples include: (1) faith in Divine Providence; (2) love of country and willingness to defend it; (3) respect for the Constitution and obedience to laws; (4) paying taxes willingly and promptly; (5) safeguarding the purity of suffrage.
It means recognizing the Constitution as the expression of sovereign will, understanding that government is one’s government for safety and welfare, and obeying laws while ensuring public officials comply with their duties.
It requires citizens to pay taxes willingly and promptly, stating that citizenship implies not only rights but also obligations.
It instructs citizens to safeguard the purity of suffrage and to abide by the decisions of the majority.
It says citizens must love and respect their parents, describing it as their duty to serve them gratefully and well.
It commands citizens to be truthful and honest in thought and in action, and to be just and charitable.
It instructs citizens to be courteous but dignified in their dealings with fellow men.
It promotes leading a clean and frugal life; avoiding indulgence in frivolity or pretense; and being simple in dress and modest in behavior.
It says citizens should be industrious and not be afraid or ashamed to do manual labor, noting that productive toil contributes to economic security and adds to the wealth of the nation.
It teaches that work should be done cheerfully, thoroughly, and well, that work done badly is worse than work undone, and that one should not leave for tomorrow what can be done today.
Citizens should contribute to the welfare of their community and promote social justice, recognizing that one is part of society with definite responsibilities.
It tells citizens to cultivate the habit of using goods made in the Philippines and to patronize the products and trades of their countrymen.
It instructs citizens to use and develop natural resources while conserving them for posterity, calling them the inalienable heritage of the people.
Although not further defined in the text, the phrase likely means citizens should not misuse, barter, or dishonor their citizenship; it signals loyalty and integrity in citizenship duties.