Question & AnswerQ&A (PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 155)
The decree is Presidential Decree No. 155, dated March 15, 1973.
Section 3 of Article XIV of the 1935 Constitution provided that "until otherwise provided by law, English and Spanish shall continue as official languages."
It recognizes the Spanish language as an official language in the Philippines for certain purposes, specifically while important government documents remain untranslated from Spanish.
Because a sizeable part of documents in government files are in Spanish and have not yet been officially translated into English or Filipino, maintaining their admissibility avoids legal complications pending translation.
The decree recognizes Spanish as part of the Philippines' priceless national heritage, shared with the Hispanic community of nations.
Spanish will continue to be recognized as official while important documents in government files remain in Spanish and untranslated into English or Filipino.
No, it does not repeal the status of English or Filipino. It recognizes Spanish as official specifically for documents not translated into either English or Filipino.
The decree took effect immediately upon its signing on March 15, 1973.
The decree was signed by President Ferdinand E. Marcos and Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor.