The By-Laws

BY – LAWS

OF THE

 NATIONAL ECONOMIC PROTECTIONISM ASSOCIATION

______

 

ARTICLE I

 NAME

 Section 1. This Association shall be known as the NATIONAL ECONOMIC PROTECTIONISM ASSOCIATION.

 

ARTICLE II

PURPOSE

Section 2. The principal purpose of this Association is to foster the spirit of economic protectionism among the people of the Philippine Islands, and to attain this end this Association shall –

(a) Organize and conduct publicity campaigns throughout the Philippines for the purpose of promoting greter consumption of locally-made products, and keeping alive the doctrine of national economic protectionism;

(b) Propose and support legislation tending to promote new and develop existing local industries and enhance Filipino participation in the domestic and foreign trade; and oppose vigorously any proposed measure, in the Philippines or abroad, considered harmful or inimical to the Philippines economic interest and/or prejudicial to Filipino labor;

(c) Take such steps as may be necessary or advisable for the protection of the economic interests of the Philippines against unfair and unjustified foreign competition.

 

ARTICLE III

DOMICILE

Sec. 3. The Principal office of this Association shall be located in the city of Manila, Philippine Islands. It may, however, establish branch offices in the provinces.

 

ARTICLE IV

DURATION

Sec. 4. This Association shall exist for a term of 50 years, from after the date of its incorporation, unless sooner dissolved by a vote of threefourths of its members or by any method provided for by law.

 

ARTICLE V

MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

Sec. 5. There shall be four classes of members as follows:

(a) Sustaining Members. – Only firms, partnerships, or corporations are eligible for memberships as sustaining members, and each shall pay a yearly due of from P 500 to P 1000 each, at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Association;

(b) Regular Members. – Regular members who shall pay a monthly due of P 5.00 each;

(c) Contributing Members. – Contributing members who shall pay a yearly due of P 2.00 each, and

(d) Associate Members. – Associate members who shall pay a yearly due of P 1.00 each.

 

Sec. 6. All fees are payable in advance.

Sec. 7. Sustaining and regular members shall have the right to vote and to be elected to any office in the Association. Contributing members shall have the right to elect members of the Board of Directors but can and will not be eligible for office.

Sec. 8. All citizens of the Philippine Islands are eligible to become members of this Association and no religious or political test shall be required for the admission of an applicant as a member. Membership shall be unlimited as to number. Firms, associations, corporations and any establishment domiciled in the Philippines and manufacturing or producing articles out of raw material or materials made in the Philippines and/or engaged in the distribution of such articles and which are known to be in sympathy with the protectionist move may become sustaining members of this Association.

Sec. 9. Admission to membership shall be by application duly accomplished and signed by the applicant and vouched for by one member in good standing. Such applicant shallbe submitted to the Board of Directors for approval after having been passed upon by the Executive Committee.

Sec. 10. All members are in duty bound to observe faithfully the provisions of this Constitution and By-Laws, and such measures as may be promulgated from time to time by the governing body and by the Association.

Sec. 11. Membership in the Association may be terminated:

(a)   By death or insanity of the members;

(b)  By voluntary resignation and the resignation is accepted;

(c)    By delinquency in the payment of dues for two years in the case of sustaining members and for one year in the case of regular, contributing and associate members;

(d)   By expulsion for conduct prejudicial to the interests of the Association;

(e)    By change of residence out of the Philippine Islands.

 

Sec. 12. Members may be expelled from the Association:

(a)  When after proper investigation of the Executive Committee they are found acting against the interests or the harmony of the Association;

(b)  When they are found to be taking advantage of their connection with the Association to further the interests of other associations and corporations which are hostile to and not in consanance with the aims and interests of this Association.

 

Sec. 13. Members who were separated from this Association by reason of resignation, suspension for non-payment of dues, expulsion and change residence out of the Islands may be reinstated by two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors under such terms and conditions as may be imposed by said Board of Directors.

 

ARTICLE VI

CHAPTERS

Sec. 14. Chapters of this Association may be formed in the following manner:

A group of seven or more persons in any town, city, school, college or university in the Philippine Islands may associate themselves together and form a provisional chapter and file a petition with the Board of Directors of the Association for the formal organization of the said chapter. Upon approval of the petition, the chapter shall adopt its own By-Laws, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors of the Associations, and elect its permanent officers for the transaction of business.

Sec. 15. There shall be three (3) kinds of Chapters as follows:

(a)   Provincial chapters which shall be composed of public-spirited citizens, merchants, professionals and others in any municipality.

(b)  Women’s chapters which shall be composed exclusively of women.

(c)   Students’ chapters which shall be composed of students of both sexes in any school, college or university.

 

Sec. 16. All chapters organized under the provisions of Section 14 hereof are given a free hand in the management of their own individual chapters but they must so conduct their activities that they are in consonance and in harmony with the aims and doctrine of the Association.

Sec. 17. Not more than one chapter of each kind shall be established in any municipality, except in places where there are more than one school, college or university, public or private, in which event one students’ chapter may be established in each school, college or university.

 

ARTICLE VII

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Sec. 18. The Board of Directors shall be elected by the Association in a general annual meeting of the sustaining, regular and contributing members of the Association on the first Sunday of Febuary of each year, and the directors so elected shall assume office immediately thereafter. The election shall be done by secret ballot, and those who shall obtain the highest number of votes cast shall be declared elected to compose the Board of Directors. In case of tie for the seventh place, the same shall be decided by lot. Immediately after the election, the directors so shosen shall meet and elect among themselves the officers of the Association as herein provided. In case of vacancy in the Board of Directors the same shall be filled by appointment to be made by the President, subject to the approval of the said Board of Directors, the appointee to hold office until his successor is elected at the next general annual meeting of the association.

Sec. 19. The Board of Directors shall manage and direct the affairs of the Association, and shall take charge, through the President and the Treasurer, of the property and funds of the same. It shall have the power to promulgate such measures as may be necessary and advisable to accomplish the prupose of Association; to organize chapters, or approve or reject disapprove applications for membership and the appointments made by the President; to suspend members for non-payment of dues or expel them from the Association for cause, and to execute resolutions adopted at a general meeting of the Association.

Sec. 20. The officers of the Association shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Treasurer and a Secretary who shall be elected by the Board of Directors from among their members, with the exception of the Secretary who may not be a member of the Board.

Sec. 21. The officers shall hold office for a term of one year from their election until their successors shall have been elected and qualified, unless sooner  removed from office for cause or any permanent disability.

Sec. 22. The President shall be the highest executive officer of the Association; he shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and of the Association; he shall authorize and countersign all disbursement to be paid out by the Treaurer as per order of the Board of Directors; he shall appoint, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, all the committees and receive their reports; he shall call special meetings of the Board of Directors whenever necessary for the transaction of important business affecting the Association; he shall see to it that all officers comply with their respective duties; and he shall perform such other acts as may be required of him by the Association and the Board of Directors.

Sec. 23. The Vice-President shall discharge the duties of the President in case of sickness, temporary disability, resignation or removal for cause of the said President.  In the event that both these officers are unable to discharge their duties, the Board shall immediately designate the member who shall discharge the duties of the President.

Sec. 24. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of the funds and properties of the Association; he shall keep an accurate account of all the moneys  received or disbursed by him and disburse the funds as may be ordered by the Board of Directors and countersigned by the President; he shall collect all dues paid by the members; he shall deposit the funds of the Association with a reputable banking institution, as may be designated by the Board of Directors; and shall perform such other duties as may be required of him by the Association and the Board of Directors.

Sec. 25. The Secretary shall be the be the custodian of the records and seal of the Association; he shall give due notices of and attend all meetings of the Association; he shall keep the minutes of all meetings of both the Association and the Board of Directors, which said minutes shall be written in books provided for this purpose and shall contain a true and accurate account of the proceedings in such meetings and record all business therein transated, all of which he shall certify as Secretary; he shall conduct all the correspondence of the Association not especially under the charge of any other officer; he shall affix the seal of the Association to all contracts and documents to be sealed; he shall notifiy all applicants of approval or disapproval of their petitions for membership; and he shall perform such other duties as may be required of the Association, the Board of Directors of the President.

Sec. 26. No officer of the Association shall receive any salary, compensation or bonus for services rendered, except the Secretary who shall be allowed such compensation for his services rendered to the Association, in the amount fixed by the Board of Directors.

Sec. 27. At every General Annual Meeting of the Association an Auditor shall be appointed to take charge of the checking and auditing of the books and accounts of the Association. The Auditor shall have the power at any time to examine all books, accounts, vouchers and other accounting papers of the Association and shall certify the annual Financial Statement prepared by the Treasurer. A copy of the Financial Statement shall be furnished by the Secretary of the Association and shall be open for examination by all members of the Association.

 

ARTICLE VIII

COMMITTEES

Sec. 28. Immediaterly after the organization of thte Board of Directors, the President, with the approval of the Board, shall appoint an executive committee, composed of a Chairman who shall be a member of the Board of Directors and  two members selected from among the sustaining and regular members of the Association. The Executive Committee shall take charge of such activities or the Association as may be designated to it by the Board of Directors. The President may also, with the approval of the Board of Directors, create  such other committees as may be necessary or convenient.

 

ARTICLE IX

FUNDS

Sec. 29. The funds of the Association shall consist of the accumulated dues paid in by the members and such amounts which may be derived from other sources. The said funds shall be devoted exclusively to the maintenance of the Association and the advancement of its purpose.

 

ARTICLE X

MEETINGS AND QUORUM

Sec. 30. The meetings of the Association shall be annual and special. The annual meeting shall take place on the first Sunday of February of  each year for the election of seven members of the Board of Directors and for the transaction of such business as may properly come before the meeting. The attendance of twenty members whether in person or by proxy shall be sufficient to constitute a quorum. Special meetings of the Association may be called either by the President of by the request of five sustaining or regular members of the Association. Fifteen members shall constitute a quorum for holding a special meeting.

Sec. 31. The Board of Directors shall hold regular and special meetings. Regular meetings shall be held once a month at such dates and houras may be designated by the Board, and special meetings may be called by order of the President or at the request of two directors, specifying the purpose of such meetings. Four members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum and their acts shall bind the Association.

Sec. 32. The Secretary shall issue notices of the meetings at least five days before such meetings are to be held.

 

ARTICLE XI

ORDER OF BUSINESS

Sec. 33. The order of business at the annual meetings ofthe Association shall be as follows:

  1. Calling to order by the President.
  2. Determination of a quorum.
  3. Reading of minutes
  4. Approval of Financial Statements.
  5. Report of Officers.
  6. Introduction of resolutions and reference of same to Committees.
  7. Reports of Committees and discussion of resolutions.
  8. Nomination and election of officers.
  9. Miscellaneous business.
  10. Adjournment.

Sec. 34. The order of business at the special meetins of the Association shall be the same as above with items 4, 6, 7, nad 8 eliminated.

Sec. 35. The order of business to be followed in the meetings of the Board of Directors shall be:

  1. Roll call
  2. Reading of minutes
  3. Reports of officers
  4. Reports of Committees
  5. Filling of vacancies
  6. Discussion of unfinished business
  7. Discussion of new business
  8. Adjournment

ARTICLE XII

AMENDMENTS

Sec. 35. This By-Laws may be amended by two-thirds vote of the members constituting a quorum at a meeting of the Association specially called for that purpose at least ten days prior to the date of the meeting and especially stating in the call for the meeting the amendments proposed. However, the President is empowered, from time to time, and as often as he may deem fit, as a temporary expedient, to amplify the present By-laws by prescribing such measures and methods of procedure as he may believe may advance the interests and welfare of the Association, provided that such measures or methods of procedure shall not be in conflict with any of  the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation of this Association nor this By-laws.

Sec. 37. This By-laws shall take effect upon its approval and shall be signed by the members.

 

APPROVED, December 20, 1934

Sgd. L. R. Aguinaldo

Sgd. Antonio Brias

Sgd. Toribio Teodoro

Sgd. Ciriaco Tuason

Sgd. Primo Arambulo

Sgd. Benito Razon

Sgd. Isaac Ampil

Sgd. Aurelio Periquet

Sgd. Gonzalo Puyat

Sgd. Florencio Reyes

Sgd. Vicente Villanueva

Sgd. Joaquin  M. Elizalde

Sgd. Arsenio N. Luz

Sgd. Ramon J. Fernandez

Sgd. Salvador Araneta

 

 

 

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