Executive Order No. 310 (GMA)

WHEREAS, the design and use of the coat-of-arms, seal, and flag of the President and the Vice President of the Philippines were established by Executive Order No. 38 dated January 7, 1947, as amended by Executive Order No. 457 dated July 4, 1951, and Executive Order No. 19 dated August 27, 1998, in order to provide a symbol appropriate for the dignity and history of the Presidency and Vice Presidency of the country.

WHEREAS, these symbols are exclusively meant for the use of the President and Vice President of the Philippines and no other officials;

WHEREAS, it is in the national interest to promulgate regulations that enhance the effective use of these symbols and the proper respect due the same;

WHEREAS, the issuance of this Executive Order is recommended by the Presidential Assistant for Historical Affairs, with the conformity of the Office of the Vice President of the Philippines and the National Historical Institute;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law and upon the recommendation of the Presidential Assistant for Historical Affairs, do hereby order:

"a.  The Coat-Of-Arms of the President of the Philippines shall be of the following design:"

A circular blue shield with an eight-rayed golden-yellow Philippine sun at the center. Overlapping the Philippine sun is a red equilateral triangle. Inside and at the center of the equilateral triangle is the traditional golden-yellow sea lion (Utramar)of the Coat-Of-Arms granted to the City of Manila in 1596, on guard with a sword on its right paw, at hilt.

Inside and at the corner of each of the three (3) angles of the equilateral triangle, a five-pointed golden-yellow star to represent Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, respectively.

The elements enumerated above are encircled at the outer edge of the blue shield by five-pointed golden-yellow stars, with one point of each star pointing outward on the imaginary radiating center lines, the number of stars conforming to the number of provinces of the Republic of the Philippines at any given time.

An illustration of the Coat-Of-Arms of the President of the Philippine shown it its proper colors is attached as Annex "A" andmade an integral hereof.

"b.  The Seal of the President of the Philippines shall consist of the Coat-Of-Arms of the President of the Philippines, and a white circle around the Coat-of-Arms enclosed by two (2) golden-yellow marginal rings. The white circle shall contain the words 'Sagisag ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas' in black letters on the upper arc, the lower arc divided by three (3) five-pointed golden-yellow stars."

An illustration of the Seal of the President of the Philippines shown in its proper colors is attached as Annex "B" and made an integral part hereof.

"c.  The Flag of the President of the Philippines shall consist of the Coat-of-Arms of the President in proper colors, with a rectangular blue background (instead of the circular blue shield). The shade of the blue background shall conform to the blue color of the National Flag enumerated in Republic Act No. 8491, the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines. The fringe shall be of knotted yellow silk. The ratio of the Flag shall be 1:2."

An illustration of the Flag of the President of the Philippines shown in its proper colors is attached as Annex "C" and made an integral part hereof.

"a.  The Coat-of-Arms of the Vice President of the Philippines shall be of the following design:"

A circular white shield with an eight-rayed golden-yellow Philippine sun at the center. Overlapping the Philippine sun is a red equilateral triangle. Inside and at the center of the equilateral triangle is the traditional golden-yellow sea lion (Ultramar) of the Coat-of-Arms granted to the City of Manila in 1596, on guard with a sword on its right paw, at hilt. Inside and at the corner of each of the three (3) angles of the equilateral triangle, a five-pointed golden-yellow star to represent Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, respectively.

An illustration of the Coat-of-Arms of the Vice President of the Philippines shown in its proper colors is attached as Annex "D" and made an integral part hereof.

"b.  The Seal of the Vice president of the Philippines shall consist of the Coat-of-Arms of the Vice President of the Philippines, and a blue circle around the Coat-of-Arms. The blue circle shall contain the words 'Sagisag ng Pangalawang Pangulo ng Pilipinas' in white letters on the upper arc, the lower are divided by one (1) five-pointed white star."

An illustration of the Seal of the Vice President of the Philippines shown in its proper colors is attached as Annex "E" and made an integral part hereof.

"c.  The Flag of the Vice President of the Philippines shall consist of the Coat-of-Arms of the Vice President in proper colors, with a rectangular white background (instead of the circular white shield). The fringe shall be of knotted yellow silk. The ratio of the Flag shall be 1:2."

An illustration of the Flag of the Vice President of the Philippines shown in its proper colors is attached as Annex "F" and made an integral part hereof.

Except as otherwise provided by law or Presidential issuance, the Coat-of-Arms, Seal, and Flag of the President of the Philippines or of the Vice President of the Philippines shall be exclusively used to represent the President of the Philippines or the Vice President of the Philippines, respectively.

Except as used by the President of the Philippines or the Vice President of the Philippines or as may otherwise be provided by law or by Presidential issuance, the manufacture, reproduction, sale, purchase for sale, use, display, or possession in commercial quantity of the Coat-of-Arms, Seal, and/or Flag of the President of the Philippines or of the Vice President of the Philippines, respectively, or any likeness or substantial part thereof, shall be permitted only for the following uses: a.  Use in encyclopedias, dictionaries, books, journals, pamphlets, periodicals, or magazines incident to a description or history of coats-of-arms, seals, flags, heraldry, or the Philippine Presidency or Vice Presidency;

b.   Use in libraries, museums, or educational facilities incident to descriptions or exhibits relating to coats-of-arms, seals, flags, heraldry, or the Philippine Presidency or Vice Presidency;

c.   Use as an architectural embellishment in libraries, museums, monuments or archives established to house the papers or effects of former or incumbent Presidents or Vice Presidents of the Philippines;

d.    Use by way of photographic or electronic visual reproduction in pictures, moving pictures, telecasts, or otherwise of bona fide news content;

e.    Such other uses for exceptional historical, educational, or newsworthy purposes as may be authorized in writing by the Office of Presidential Protocol. Furthermore, the use of stationery, business cards, identification cards, or any other items containing the Coat-of-Arms, Seal and/or Flag of the President or of the Vice President of the Philippines, respectively, or any likeness or substantial part thereof, by person other than the President of the Vice President of the Philippines is strictly prohibited.

Any violation of the provisions of this Executive Order shall be severely dealt with administratively, civilly, and criminally.

The Office of Presidential Protocol, in consultation with the National Historical Institute, shall prepare the Implementing Rules and Regulations of this Executive Order in the form of a comprehensive usage manual, which shall be subject to the approval of the Office of the President.

The comprehensive usage manual shall include a single reference for all standards and aspects of the nomenclature and graphic representation for the reproduction of the Coat-of-Arms, Seal, and Flag of the President and of the Vice President of the Philippines, templates for stationery, business cards, and publications, information on electronic design, and application to collateral materials and signage, among others.

The Office of Presidential Protocol shall be responsible for providing the comprehensive usage manual, or a simplified version thereof, to the concerned government agencies for implementation by all relevant government agencies.

The National Printing Office and the Philippine Information Agency are hereby directed to immediately use the correct graphic representation as provided in this Executive Order and /or its Implementing Rules and Regulations upon the effectivity hereof.

Executive Order No. 38 dated January 7, 1947, as amended by Executive Order No. 457 dated July 4 1951, and Executive Order No. 19 dated August 17, 1998, are hereby repealed.

All other Presidential directives, issuances, orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, insofar as they are inconsistent with this Executive Order are likewise hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

This Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon its publication in a newspaper of general circulation. DONE in the City of Manila, this 20th Day of April, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Four. (SGD.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO    By the President:  (SGD.) ALBERTO G. ROMULO Executive Secretary