Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 217)
It finds its authority under Section Five of Article XIII of the 1935 Constitution of the Philippines, which mandates that all schools shall aim to develop moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience, and teach the duties of citizenship.
President Manuel L. Quezon, by virtue of the powers vested in him under the Constitution, directed the Secretary of Public Instruction.
Schools are required to teach civic and ethical principles including faith in Divine Providence, love of country, respect for the Constitution, obedience to laws, paying taxes, safeguarding suffrage purity, honoring parents, valuing honor, truthfulness, justice, charity, industriousness, community welfare, use of Philippine-made goods, and conserving natural resources.
Respecting the Constitution is vital because it is the expression of the sovereign will of the people and the foundation of government established for the safety and welfare of citizens.
Citizenship not only implies rights but also obligations such as obedience to laws, paying taxes, safeguarding the purity of suffrage, and contributing to the community’s welfare.
The order emphasizes truthfulness, honesty, justice, charity, courtesy, dignity, simplicity, modesty, industriousness, perseverance, and leading a clean and frugal life.
Manual labor is not to be feared or ashamed of; it is encouraged as productive toil that contributes to economic security and the nation’s wealth.
It instructs citizens to cultivate the habit of using Philippine-made goods, patronize local products and trades, develop and conserve natural resources as an inalienable heritage for posterity.
Pending the formal code, schools are to immediately start teaching the prescribed civic and ethical principles to fulfill the constitutional mandate.