Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 394)
The main purpose of Executive Order No. 394 is to reorganize the Pinaglabanan Commemorative Commission with duties to commemorate the Battle of Pinaglabanan by erecting a monument or memorial.
The patriotic association called The Spirit of 1896 initiated the campaign for erecting a monument to commemorate the Battle of Pinaglabanan.
The monument or memorial commemorates the first battle for the emancipation of the Filipino people, specifically the Battle of Pinaglabanan in San Juan del Monte, Province of Rizal, on August 28-29, 1896.
The key members include the Governor of Rizal (Chairman), the Mayor of San Juan, Rizal (Co-Chairman), President of the Spirit of 1896 (Executive Vice-Chairman), various appointed members including Mrs. Carmen Guerrero Nakpil and Justice Calixto Zaldivar, Architect Otillo Arellano, Mrs. Narda N. Camacho (Executive-Secretary), and the Provincial Auditor of Rizal as Auditor ex officio.
The three main duties are: 1) Soliciting and collecting voluntary contributions for the monument; 2) Selecting and acquiring the site for the monument; and 3) Directing and supervising the construction and erection of the monument or memorial.
All funds must be deposited with the Philippine National Bank in the name of the Commission and withdrawals can only be made by checks signed by the Chairman or Executive Vice-Chairman and countersigned by the Auditor.
All books of accounts must be available for audit by the authorized representative of the Auditor General.
The Commission must submit progress reports on its work to the President of the Philippines annually on the first of July.
The Provincial Auditor of Rizal acts as Auditor ex officio of the Commission, overseeing the Commission's financial transactions.
Because the battle was a significant event in the fight for the freedom of the Filipino people, involving members of the Katipunan, founded by Andres Bonifacio, making it a legacy for the entire nation, not just a locality.