Privileges and Fund for National Artists

The National Artists Awards Committee, composed of the members of the Board of Trustees of the Cultural Center of the Philippines created to administer the Award and Decoration of National Artist under Proclamation No. 1144 dated May 15, 1973, may authorize disbursement of funds for travel expenses of National Artists.
Travel expenses authorized by the Committee cover travel to and from places where National Artists’ works of art may be on official exhibition for the benefit of the Philippine public.

Any person who has been conferred the award and decoration of National Artist must remain a citizen of the Philippines as a condition for retention of the award and decoration.
The decree links retention of the award and decoration to continued Filipino citizenship, with the privileges and honors decreed remaining tied to that condition.

A Special Account is created in the annual General Appropriations Act to carry out the purposes of Presidential Decree No. 208.
The Special Account begins with an initial appropriation of PHP 500,000, authorized to be appropriated out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated.
Additional replenishment is funded by including the necessary sums in the annual General Appropriations Act.

The National Artists Awards Committee must make and supervise disbursement of funds in the Special Account.
Disbursements are subject to audit by the Commission on Audit.
The Committee must submit a report of disbursements to the Office of the President of the Philippines once every six months.

Presidential Decree No. 208 takes effect immediately.
Presidential Decree No. 208 is made part of the law of the land.
The decree is signed by President Ferdinand E. Marcos and dated June 07, 1973.